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The  Life  of  Christ 


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M€DB  WmmMGER  mMOMM. 


CONSTRUCTIVE  BIBLE  STUDIES 

EDITED    BY 

WILLIAM  R.  HARPER  and  ERNEST  D.  BURTON 


THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

BY 

ERNEST  DEWITT  BURTON 

AND 

SHAILER  MATHEWS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/ciDnstructivestudOOburtrich 


COPYRIGHT   BY   THE    BIBLE   STUDY   PUBLISHING   CO. 


Constructive  Studies 


IN 


the  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


( 


AN    AID    TO    HISTORICAL    STUDY    AND    A    CONDENSED 
COMMENTARY    ON    THE    GOSPELS 

FOR  USE  IN  ADVANCED  BIBLE  CLASSES 


BY 

ERNEST  DEWITT  BURTON 

AND 

SHAILER  MATHEWS 

Pj-ofessors  in  the  University  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  III. 


REVISED   EDITION 


CHICAGO 

iqoi 


B^ 


Copyright  igoo 

By  Ernest  D.  Burton  and 

Shailer  Mathews 


PREFACE. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  we  have  had  specially  in  mind  the  needs 
of  students  in  Academies  and  Colleges,  and  in  the  advanced  classes  of  Sunday 
schools.  It  is  our  hope  in  some  measure  to  promote  the  thorough,  systematic 
study  of  the  Bible,  and  in  particular  the  historical  study  of  the  gospels  along  such 
lines  as  are  ordinarily  followed  in  constructive  historical  work.  Such  study 
has,  we  are  convinced,  a  proper  place  in  the  curriculum  of  every  Academy 
and  College.  The  reasons  which  in  the  past  have  denied  to  the  Bible  and  to 
biblical  history  what  was  freely  granted  to  other  ancient  classics  and  to  other 
ancient  history  are  rapidly  ceasing  to  exist,  and  the  day  must  soon  come  when 
trustees  and  faculties  will  see  their  way  to  respond  to  the  demand  already 
made  by  students  for  thorough  instruction  in  the  Bible.  Of  the  proper  spirit 
and  aim  of  such  study  we  speak  on  a  later  page. 

It  is  not  'less  firmly  our  conviction  that  the  Sunday  school  should  have  a 
curriculum  of  study  as  carefully  and  as  intelligently  graded  as  any  other 
school,  and  that  this  curriculum  should  include  a  thorough  course  in  biblical 
history.  Such  a  course,  covering  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New,  deal- 
ing with  teachings  as  well  as  events,  and  recognizing  relations  of  events  as 
well  as  mere  facts,  should  occupy  not  less  than  three  or  four  years,  preferably 
those  just  before  the  pupil  passes  to  the  adult  division.  In  our  minds  the 
present  work  forms  the  middle  third  of  such  a  course  in  biblical  history,  prop- 
erly following  a  thorough  study  of  Old  Testament  history,  and  itself  to  be 
followed  by  a  study  of  the  history  of  the  apostolic  church. 


CONTENTS. 

Part  I. 

THE  THIRTY  YEARS  OF  PRIVATE  LIFE. 
FROM    THE    BIRTH  OF    JESUS    UNTIL    THE  COMING  OF   JOHN    THE  BAPTIST. 

Chapter  I. — The  sources  of  our  knowledge  of  the  life  of  Jesus ;  the  origin  and 

purpose  of  the  gospels 17 

Chapter  II. — The  birth  of  John  the  Baptist  and  of  Jesus 28 

Chapter  III. — The  childhood  and  youth  of  Jesus        42 

Part  II. 

THE  OPENING  EVENTS  OF  CHRIST'S  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    COMING    OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST    UNTIL     THE    PUBLIC 
APPEARANCE    OF    JESUS    IN    JERUSALEM. 

Chapter  IV. — The  herald  of  the  new  era.     The  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist    .     49 

Chapter  V. — The  baptism  and  temptation  of  Jesus 56 

Chapter  VI. — The  beginnings  of  faith  in  Jesus 61 

Part  III. 

THE  EARLY  JUDEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    PUBLIC    APPEARANCE     OF     JESUS     IN     JERlTSALEM     UNTIL     HIS 
RETURN     TO     GALILEE. 

Chapter  VII. — The  beginning  of  Christ's  work  in  Jerusalem 67 

Chapter  VIII. — Jesus  in  Judea  and  Samaria 72 

Part  IV. 

FIRST  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    RETURN    TO    GALILEE    UNTIL    THE    CHOOSING    OF    THE 

TWELVE. 

Chapter   IX. — The  beginning  of  Christ's  work  in  Galilee 79 

Chapter  X. — Hostility  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  to  Jesus 87 

Part  V. 

SECOND  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE    UNTIL    THE    WITHDRAWAL    INTO 

NORTHERN    GALILEE. 
Chapter  XI. — The  choosing  of  the  Twelve  and  the  sermon  on  the  mount     .     .     97 

Chapter  XII. — A  preaching  tour  in  Galilee 109 

Chapter  XIII. —  Further  conflict  with  the  scribes,  and  teaching  concerning  the 

kingdom 116 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  XIV. — A  chapter  of  miracles  in  Galilee 125 

Chapter  XV. —  Further  evangelization  in  Galilee 130 

Chapter  XVI. — The  crisis  at  Capernaum 136 

Part  VI. 

THIRD  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    withdrawal    INTO    NORTHERN     GALILEE    UNTIL    THE    FINAL 
DEPARTURE    FOR     JERUSALEM. 

Chapter  XVII. —  A  northern  journey  and  a  brief  stay  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee.     .   147 
Chapter  XVIII. — A  journey  to  Csesarea  Philippi ;  Peter's  confession  and  the 

transfiguration 152 

Chapter  XIX. — Teachings  concerning  humility  and  forgiveness 162 

Chapter  XX. — Discourses  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 169 

Part  VII. 

THE  PEREAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    FINAL    DEPARTURE    FROM     GALILEE    UNTIL    THE    FINAL 
ARRIVAL    AT    JERUSALEM. 

Chapter  XXI. — The  departure  from  Galilee  and  the  mission  of  the  Seventy  .     .176 
Chapter  XXII  — The   healing   of    the   man    born  blind,  and    other  events  in 

Jerusalem 181 

Chapter  XXIII. — Discourses  in  Perea 189 

Chapter  XXIV. — Discourses  in  Perea  (continued) 196 

Chapter  XXV. — The  raising  of  Lazarus,  and  its  effect  on  the  Jews      ....  201 

Chapter  XXVI. — Further  teachings  in  Perea 204 

Chapter  XXVII. — Closing  events  of  the  Perean  ministry 207 

Chapter  XXVIII.— In  Jericho  and  Bethany 215 

Part  VIII. 

THE  PASSION  WEEK. 
FROM    THE    FINAL    ARRIVAL    IN    JERUSALEM    UNTIL    THE     RESURRECTION. 
Chapter  XXIX. — -The  triumphal  entry  and  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple.      .     .219 
Chapter  XXX. — Conflict  veith  the  Jewish  rulers,  foreshadowing  the  end  .     .     .  225 

Chapter  XXXI. — Jesus'  last  words  in  the  temple 233 

Chapter  XXXII. — Jesus'  prediction  of  the  end  of  the  nation,  and  the  plot  of  his 

enemies ■ 237 

Chapter  XXXIII. — Jesus'  last  day  with  the  disciples 243 

Chapter  XXXIV.— The  arrest,  trial,  and  death  of  Jesus 257 

Part  IX. 

THE  FORTY  DAYS. 

FROM    THE    RESURRECTION    UNTIL    THE    ASCENSION. 

Chapter  XXXV. — The  appearances  of  Jesus  after  his  resurrection 273 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS. 

We  beg  leave  to  call  the  attention  of  teachers  and  pupils  to  certain 
features  of  the  work. 

1 .  It  demands,  first  of  all,  a  mastery  of  the  facts  of  the  Scripture  narra- 
tive. The  pupil  is  brought  face  to  face  with  the  gospels,  which  are  the 
principal  —  almost  the  only  —  sources  of  knowledge  for  the  life  of  Jesus 
that  are  now  accessible  to  us.  The  first  duty  of  an  historian  is  the 
mastery  of  his  sources.  Nothing  should  be  allowed  to  take  the  place 
of  this,  or  to  crowd  it  out.  Whatever  else  a  course  of  study  based  on 
this  book  may  or  may  not  accomplish,  it  will  be  largely  a  failure  if  the 
student  fails  to  acquire  as  a  permanent  possession  the  gospel  narrativje 
of  the  life  of  Jesus. 

2.  It  demands  interpretation  of  the  Scripture  material;  not,  indeed, 
exhaustively  thorough  interpretation;  time  and  space  do  not_peniiit- 


this  ;  but  such  an  interpretation  as  is  needed  for  a  reasonably  thorough 
historical  study.  Let  teacher  and  pupil  deal  with  the  material  in  an 
interpretative  spirit,  always  asking  as  they  study  it :  What  is  the  actual 
meaning  of  this  ?  For  what  thought  in  the  mind  of  the  writer  or 
speaker  did  these  words  stand  ?  What  did  he  mean  by  them  to  convey  to 
others  ?  It  is  with  the  purpose  of  facilitating  interpretation  that  most 
of  the  material  contributed  by  us  is  inserted.  Most  of  the  remainder 
is  intended  to  furnish  historical  data  not  derivable  directly  from  the 
gospels,  but  needed  for  purposes  of  interpretation  and  historical  con- 
struction. 

It  is  mainly  with  the  same  end  in  view,  and  specifically  in  order  to 
give  definiteness  to  the  student's  work,  that  the  Questions  and  Sugges- 
tions for  Study  are  inserted.  We  regard  the  use  of  these  questions 
(or  better  ones  which  the  teacher  may  substitute)  by  pupils  in  studying 
and  by  teachers  in  teaching  as  almost  indispensable  to  the  success- 
ful employment  of  the  plan  of  study  which  is  here  outlined.  Espe- 
cially important  is  it  that  the  questions  marked  with  *  shall  be  answered 
in  writing.  We  earnestly  recommend  that  teachers  who  use  the  lessons 
receive  the  papers  containing  these  answers  from  the  pupils,  correct 
them  carefully,  and  return  them  to  the  students.  The  reading  of  the 
answers  in  the  class  may  or  may  not  be  wise. 


f^-^ 


•  •••*•      • 

•  •    •  •/  •  •    • 


6     /•.:*.*:*':*'*•* 'i^ucfc^sTiojsis  to  teachers 

3.  The  book  is  constructive  in  its  aim,  or,  to  speak  more  accurately, 
it  aims  to  encourage  the  student  to  do  constructive  work.  Out  of  the 
Scripture  material,  rightly  interpreted,  he  is  encouraged  to  construct  for 
himself  a  "Life  of  Christ"  which,  though  necessarily  only  a  sketch  or 
foundation,  shall  be,  as  far  as  it  goes,  true  to  the  sources  and  the  facts. 
It  may  be  beyond  the  ability  of  some  pupils  to  do  this  constructive 
work ;  others  may,  perhaps,  be  unable  to  give  the  necessary  time ;  but, 
unless  insuperable  obstacles  of  this  kind  exist,  this  part  of  the  work 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  neglected.  Personal  experience  convinces 
us  of  the  high  utility  of  the  method. 

4.  The  book  is  not  divided  into  lessons,  but  into  chapters.  The 
limits  of  these  chapters  have  been  determined,  not  by  the  amount  of 
work  which  we  suppose  can  be  assigned  for  a  lesson,  but  by  the  nature 
and  relations  of  the  material  itself.  There  will  be  about  forty  chapters 
of  not  very  unequal  length.  Teachers  are  advised  to  assign  lessons 
according  to  their  judgment  of  the  ability  of  their  pupils  to  do  the 
work,  always  including  with  the  paragraphs  assigned  for  study  the 
questions  which  pertain  to  them.  Certain  portions  of  the  book,  usually 
so  designated,  the  student  should  be  expected  to  read,  but  not  held 
responsible  for  reciting.  Others,  printed  in  fine  type,  are  for  the 
teacher  rather  than  the  pupil. 

5.  The  book  is  intended  to  facilitate  a  thorough  historical  study  of 
the  life  of  Jesus,  and  through  this  it  is  our  hope  that  it  may  contribute 
to  the  religious  well-being  of  those  who  use  it.  Were  it  not  for  this 
hope,  not  one  page  of  the  book  would  have  been  written.  Recogniz- 
ing that  biblical  study  and  instruction  have  their  highest  end  in  the 
cultivation  and  development  of  the  moral  and  religious  nature,  and 
believing  that  the  study  of  the  life  of  Christ  is  in  a  preeminent  degree 
useful  for  this  purpose,  we  have  taken  up  this  work  in  the  hope  that 
through  the  use  of  it  many  young  men  and  women  "  may  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ  the  Son  of  God,  and  believing  may  have  life  in  his  name." 
But  we  have  not  for  this  reason  felt  it  necessary  to  append  to  each 
chapter  a  list  of  religious  lessons.  The  benefit  to  be  gained  from  this 
study  is  not  to  be  reaped  at  the  end  of  each  day's  work.  It  will  come 
through  the  larger  knowledge  of  Jesus  which  the  study  will  give,  and 
the  true  fellowship  with  him  to  which  such  knowledge  will  lead  those 
who  have  open  minds  and  teachable  spirits. 


I' 


BOOKS  ON  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS  RECOMMENDED  FOR 
THE  4SUNDAY-SCHOOL  LIBRARY. 

ON    NEW    TESTAMENT    TIMES. 

SCHURER,  The  Jetvisk  People  in  the  Tiine  of  Jesus  Christ.  Div.  1,2  vols.;  Div.  II,  3 
vols.     New  Vork :  Scribner's.     $8. 

Mathews,  A  History  of  New  Testament  Times  in  Palestine.  New  York  :  Mac- 
millan.     ^0.75. 

Fairweather,  From  the  Exile  to  the  Advent.     New  York  :  Scribner's.    $0.80. 

'ETtY.KSH'E.iyi.,  Jewish  Social  Life. 

Seidel,  In  the  Time  of  Jesus.     New  York  :  Randolph.     $0.75. 

LIVES    OF    JESUS. 

Edersheim.  The  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah.  New  York  :  Longmans, 
Green  &  Co.     $2. 

YxRKXYi,  The  Life  of  Christ.     New  York  :  Button.     $1.50. 

Andrews,  The  Life  of  Our  Lord.     New  York  :  Scribner's.     ^^2.50, 

Gii.'QY.KT,  The  Student' s  Life  of  Jesus.     New  York  :   Macmillan.     $1.2$. 

Stalker,  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.     New  York  :  Scribner's.     ^0.60. 

Pressense,  The  Life  of  Christ.      New  York  :  Eaton  &  Mains. 

Hanna,  Life  of  Christ.     Various  editions. 

Rhees,    The  Life  of  Jesus  of  Mazareth.    A  Study.    New  York  :  Scribner's,    51.25. 


INTRODUCTION. 

PALESTINE    DURING   THE  LAST  TWO  CENTURIES  BEFORE  CHRIST. 

Remark.— This  Introduction  may  be  omitted  by  the  younger  of  those  pupils  who  use  these  studies, 
or  assigned  for  reading  only,  according  to  the  judgment  of  the  teacher. 

^  I.  Judea  before  the  Rise  of  the  Maccabees.  —  When  Alexander  the 
Great  died,  his  vast  empire  was  divided  among  his  generals,  and  after 
years  of  fighting  there* finally  emerged  four  strong  kingdoms,  or,  as  some 
call  them,  empires.  Of  these  the  two  strongest  were  Egypt  and  Syria. 
Palestine  lay  between  these  two  states,  and  as  all  the  great  roads  ran 
through  it,  and  as  it  was  certain  to  be  very  important  in  the  case  of 
war,  to  say  nothing  about  its  tribute,  each  state  endeavored  to  hold  it. 
So  Judea,  a  small  part  of  Palestine,  was  thrown  back  and  forth  between 
them.  It  was  altogether  too  small  and  weak  to  make  any  objection, 
and  it  paid  its  tribute  of  twenty  talents  to  Egypt  or  Syria,  as  the  cir- 
cumstances demanded,  or  even  divided  it  between  them.  At  last,  how- 
ever, in  198  B.  C,  Antiochus  III.,  the  Great,  finally  got  possession  of 
the  entire  region,  and  Judea  was  firmly  in  the  power  of  Syria. 

At  this  time  Judea  seems  to  have  had  no  army,  no  great  wealth,  a 
territory  no  larger  than  a  fair-sized  American  county  (since  Galilee, 
Samaria,  and  the  east-Jordan  regions  did  not  belong  to  it),  and  no 
city  except  Jerusalem.  It  not  only  centered  about  Jerusalem,  but  it 
might  be  said  that  Jerusalem  was  Judea,  just  as  the  Roman  empire  was 
once  nothing  but  the  city  of  Rome  and  the  fields  about  it.  Its  very 
government  was  that  of  Jerusalem.  For  although  the  high  priest  was 
at  the  head  of  the  state,  he  was  assisted  by  the  town  council  or  senate 
of  Jerusalem.  Just  how  the  members  of  this  body  —  who  were  called 
elders  or  presbyters — were  chosen  we  do  not  know,  but  very  likely 
they  were  the  heads  of  the  most  important  families.  This  senate  was 
the  highest  court,  but  it  also  made  such  laws  as  were  needed  ;  and, ' 
together  with  its  presiding  officer,  the  high  priest,  administered  the 
government.  By  the  time  of  Jesus  this  senate  had  lost  some  of  its 
powers  and  had  become  somewhat  different  in  character.  It  was  then 
known  as  the  Sanhedrin.  Probably  each  village  had  also  its  local 
council  and  headman,  but  all  important  matters  would  be  directed  by 
the  senate  of  Jerusalem.     So  it  is  clear  that  whatever  history  Judea 

9 


10  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

should  ever  make  would  have  to  be  centered  around  its  sacred  capital, 
where  its  high  priest  presided  over  the  priests  in  the  great  temple  and 
over  the  elders  in  the  senate. 

Now,  this  close  union  of  religion  and  politics  was  to  have  very 
important  results.  For  if  one  were  touched,  the  other  would  be,  too, 
and  if  the  Jews  should  be  suspected  of  being  untrue  subjects  of  Syria, 
a  part  of  their  punishment  would  almost  certainly  fall  upon  their 
religion.  And  this  is  what  actually  happened.  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
the  son  of  Antiochus  the  Great,  came  to  the  throne  of  Syria  in  175 
B.  C.  Almost  immediately  he  became  involved  in  war  with  Egypt. 
He  made  expedition  after  expedition  against  that  country,  but  each 
time  was  prevented  by  the  interposition  of  the  Romans  or  by  some  defeat 
from  gaining  a  complete  victory.  In  the  course  of  these  campaigns 
he  became  convinced  that  the  most  religious  people  among  the  Jews  — 
the  scribes  and  their  disciples,  or,  as  they  were  also  called,  the  Pious — 
were  more  friendly  to  Egypt  than  they  were  to  him.  So  he  determined 
to  punish  them.  He  sacked  Jerusalem,  broke  down  its  walls,  and  car- 
ried off  all  the  sacred  vessels  from  the  temple.  But  this  was  not  the 
worst.  He  determined  to  break  down  the  Jewish  religion,  since  he 
regarded  it  as  the  one  thing  that  kept  the  Jews  from  becoming  good 
subjects  of  Syria.  Being  a  rash,  impulsive  man,  he  went  about  this  work 
very  savagely.  A  great  many  of  the  Jews,  especially  the  priests  and  mem- 
bers of  the  rich  families,  had  for  a  number  of  years  been  growing  lax 
in  their  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  were  beginning  to  live  like  the  heathen. 
Now,  Antiochus  Epiphanes  said,  all  Jews  must  give  up  Jehovah  and 
their  copies  of  the  laws  of  Moses,  and  stop  obeying  them  on  penalty  of 
death.  He  thought  by  destroying  the  Jewish  religion  he  could  make 
better  citizens  of  the  Jews.  He  sent  out  officers  to  see  that  the  Jews 
obeyed  him,  and  many  of  the  party  of  the  Pious  were  killed  or  forced 
to  hide  in  caves  in  the  mountains.  The  temple  in  Jerusalem  was  dese- 
crated, and  a  pig  was  sacrificed  to  Zeus  upon  an  altar  built  upon  the 
great  altar  of  burnt  sacrifice. 

^  2.  The  Revolt  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Pious. —  But  other  people 
than  the  Pious  refused  to  join  in  this  attempt  to  destroy  Judaism,  pre- 
ferring death  to  heathenism.  Among  them  was  an  old  priest  by  the 
name  of  Mattathias,  who,  with  his  five  sons,  lived  at  a  little  town  on  the 
edge  of  the  Judean  hills,  called  Modein.  When  the  king's  officer 
came  to  Modein  to  make  its  citizens  worship  heathen  gods,  Mattathias 
killed  him,  and  then  fled  with  his  sons  and  some  of  his  friends  to  the 


PALESTINE    DURING    THE    LAST    TWO    CENTURIES    B.   C.  II 

mountains.  There  they  were  joined  by  bands  of  the  Pious  and  other 
Jews,  and  began  a  revolt  against  the  Syrians.  Mattathias  died  in  a  few 
months,  and  his  son,  Judas  Maccabaeus,  succeeded  him  as  head  of  the 
movement.  He  was  such  a  famous  warrior  that  he  gave  his  name 
(which  means  ''hammer")  to  all  those  of  his  relatives  who  succeeded 
him,  although,  more  properly  perhaps,  instead  of  Maccabeans,  they 
should  be  called  the  Asmoneans,  after  a  distant  ancestor. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Judas  (165-161  B.  C.)  the  religious  war 
resulted  in  a  number  of  victories  over  the  Syrian  forces.  Jerusalem 
was  safely  recovered^ — all  except  the  citadel,  which  held  a  Syrian  gar- 
rison—  and  the  temple  was  reconsecrated  with  a  great  celebration  in 
December,  165.  Then  came  reverses,  and  for  a  short  time  the  Pious 
separated  from  Judas,  who  wished  to  continue  fighting,  and  accepted  a 
high  priest  and  a  treaty  offered  them  by  Syria.  But  it  was  only  a  short 
time  before  they  saw  the  need  of  further  fighting,  and  Judas  was  again 
a  popular  and  victorious  leader,  restoring  order  to  the  state  and  pro- 
tecting the  Jews  throughout  Palestine.  The  Syrians  were  again 
defeated  during  the  absence  of  Antiochus  in  Persia,  and  it  looked  as  if 
Judas  might  possibly  lift  his  country  into  real  independence,  when  he 
again  lost  the  confidence  of  the  Pious  by  making  a  treaty  with  Rome. 
When  the  Syrians  came  upon  Judea  in  great  force  the  small  band 
which  remained  true  to  Judas  was  defeated,  and  he  himself  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  Alasa,  161  B.  C. 

^  3.  The  Rise  of  the  New  Theocracy  of  Judea. —  But  the  death  of  Judas 
did  not  check  the  revolt  headed  by  the  sons  of  Mattathias.  Jonathan 
(i 61-143  B.  C.)  took  up  the  work,  and  by  a  series  of  fortunate  battles 
and  other  circumstances  got  himself  recognized  by  Syria  as  a  sort  of 
legalized  outlaw  chief,  with  headquarters  at  Michmash.  From  this 
camp  he  carried  on  a  rough  warfare  against  the  Jews  who  sympathized 
with  heathenism,  and  gradually  became  the  most  important  man  in 
the  little  country.  But  greater  things  were  waiting  for  him.  Each  of 
two  rival  claimants  for  the  Syrian  throne,  Alexander  Balas  and  Deme- 
trius I.,  wished  his  support  and  made  him  great  promises.  Jonathan 
sided  with  Alexander  Balas,  and  was  made  high  priest  and  military 
commander  of  Judea,  his  brother  Simon  being  made  military  governor 
of  the  maritime  plain.  From  this  time  Judea  grew  increasingly  inde- 
pendent of  Syria,  for  although  Jonathan  did  not  succeed  in  driving 
the  Syrian  garrison  from  the  citadel  in  Jerusalem,  the  disorders  in  the 
Syrian  empire  enabled  him  to  refuse  to  pay  tribute  and  really  to  conduct 


12  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

the  State  according  to  his  own  plans.  At  the  same  time  the  Jews 
began  to  recover  from  their  heathen  sympathies,  and  to  regard  devo- 
tion to  the  law  of  Moses  as  of  the  utmost  importance.  When  Jonathan 
was  treacherously  killed  by  one  of  the  Syrian  pretenders,  his  brother 
Simon  (143-135  B.  C.)  succeeded  him  and  reaped  the  advantages  of 
his  diplomacy  and  military  skill.  Under  Simon  Judea  practically, 
though  not  formally,  threw  off  all  allegiance  to  Syria.  The  Syrian 
garrison  was  forced  to  surrender  the  citadel  in  Jerusalem,  The  high- 
priesthood  was  made  hereditary  in  Simon's  family,  coins  were  struck 
bearing  his  name,  and  legal  documents  were  dated  from  his  accession. 

John  Hyrcanus  (135-105  B.  C.)  succeeded  his  father  Simon,  and 
under  him  the  state  reached  its  greatest  prosperity.  It  included  nearly 
all  of  Palestine  except  northern  Galilee,  it  was  an  ally  of  Rome  and 
Sparta,  and  John  maintained  a  body  of  mercenary  soldiers.  We  can 
see  that  it  was  becoming  a  monarchy,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
John  Hyrcanus  was  high  priest  and  was  not  called  a  king.  Not  all  the 
leading  men  of  Jerusalem  approved  of  these  changes,  in  which  religion 
was  being  made  subordinate  to  politics,  and  the  most  religious  Jews, 
whose  fathers  and  grandfathers  had  belonged  to  the  party  of  the 
Pious,  opposed  the  high  priest.  They  were  known  as  the  Pharisees,  or 
Separatists,  because  they  wanted  Judea  to  make  no  foreign  alliances 
and  to  devote  all  its  energies  to  keeping  itself  aloof  from  everything 
that  was  defiling,  /.  e.,  not  Jewish.  At  first  John  Hyrcanus  sided  with 
them,  for  they  and  their  ancestors  had  always  been  the  chief  reliance 
of  his  house.  After  a  few  years,  however,  when  he  came  to  see  how 
narrow  they  were,  he  changed  to  the  Sadducees,  or  liberal  party,  whose 
fathers  had  been  among  those  that  had  favored  the  introduction  of 
Greek  customs,  but  who  themselves  were  not  at  all  in  favor  of  heathen- 
ism. They  were  not  nearly  as  religious  as  the  Pharisees,  nor  so  devoted 
to  the  laws  of  Moses,  but  were  more  ready  to  fall  in  with  John's  pro- 
jects. The  Pharisees  never  forgave  the  Maccabean  house  for  deserting 
them,  and  under  the  son  of  John  Hyrcanus  opposed  the  new  order  of 
things  very  fiercely.  But  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  change  at  first 
was  very  beneficial  to  Judea. 

^4.  The  Struggle  of  the  Pharisees  with  Monarchy  and  the  Sadducees. 
— When  John  Hyrcanus  died  there  came  to  the  throne  his  son  Aristo- 
bulus,  who  conquered  northern  Galilee,  and  first  of  all  his  family  called 
himself  a  king.  But  he  reigned  only  a  year  (105-104  B.  C.),  and  was 
followed  by  his  most  energetic  but  rough  brother  Alexander  Jannaeus 


PALESTINE    DURING    THE    LAST    TWO    CENTURIES    B.  C.  1 3 

(104-78  B.  C).  He  was  a  prodigious  warrior,  and  seems  to  have  cared 
very  little  that  he  was  high  priest  as  well  as  king.  So  obnoxious  did 
he  become  to  the  Pharisees  that  they  organized  a  revolt  against  him, 
and  for  several  years  Judea  was  swept  by  a  desperate  civil  war,  in  which 
the  Pharisees  even  brought  in  foreign  troops  to  aid  them.  But  Alex- 
ander at  last  conquered,  and  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  their  friends 
who  did  not  flee  to  Egypt  were  executed.  Thus  monarchy  was  finally 
established  in  place  of  a  theocracy,  and  the  Sadducees  got  possession 
of  the  high-priesthood  as  well  as  of  the  state.  Alexander  carried  the 
boundaries  of  Judea  almpst  as  far  as  had  the  great  Solomon,  and  prob- 
ably during  his  reign  the  very  interesting  book  of  First  Maccabees 
was  written.  At  his  death  the  kingdom  was  very  prosperous,  but  his 
widow,  Queen  Alexandra  (78-69  B.  C),  who  succeeded  him,  thought  it 
best  to  look  to  the  Pharisees  for  support,  and  thus  the  germs  of  civil 
war  between  them  and  the  Sadducees  were  preserved.  When  she  died, 
hostilities  immediately  broke  out  again.  Her  son,  Hyrcanus  H.,  was  a 
Pharisee  and  really  should  have  been  king,  but  he  was  defeated  by 
Aristobulus  II.,  his  Sadducean  brother.  Civil  war  raged  for  years, 
until  at  last  both  parties  applied  to  the  Roman  general  Pompey  for 
his  decision.  He  favored  Hyrcanus  II.,  but  Aristobulus  refused  to 
abide  by  Pompey's  decision,  and  so  Judea  was  again  involved  in  for- 
eign war.  Of  course  the  Romans  conquered,  and  in  63  B.  C.  Jerusa- 
lem was  captured  by  Pompey,  and  the  Jews  became  subject  to  Rome, 
and  never  again  became  independent  except  during  the  few  months  of 
the  great  rebellion,  66-70  A.  D.  Pompey  made  Hyrcanus  II.  high 
priest,  but  did  not  allow  him  to  be  king.  In  fact,  most  of  the  admin- 
istration of  the  state  was  in  the  hands  of  a  very  keen,  able  man.  Anti- 
pater,  who  was  not  a  real  Jew,  but  an  Idumean,  and  who  had  been  for 
some  time  the  chief  adviser  of  the  weak  Hyrcanus  II. 

•[[5.  Herod  the  Great. —  This  condition  of  affairs  lasted  for  several 
years,  Antipater  being  aided  in  the  government  by  his  two  sons, 
Phasael  and  Herod.  The  Jews,  especially  the  members  of  the  Sanhe- 
drin,  as  the  senate  of  Jerusalem  was  now  called,  hated  Herod  most 
heartily,  since  he  was  very  severe  in  maintaining  order  in  Galilee. 
But  when  Antipater  was  killed  by  a  rival,  it  looked  as  if  his  sons  might 
succeed  him  in  the  control  of  Hyrcanus  II.  and  the  state,  but  Anti- 
gonus,  the  son  of  Aristobulus  II.,  invited  the  Parthians  to  come  to 
aid  him  in  getting  possession  of  the  throne  he  believed  to  be  properly 
his.     Phasael  was   captured   and    committed    suicide.     Hyrcanus    II. 


14  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

also  was  captured,  and,  after  having  his  ears  cut  off,  so  that  he  could 
never  again  be  high  priest,  was  sent  to  Babylon,  and  Herod  was  forced 
to  flee.  He  finally  got  to  Rome,  where  Antony  and  Octavius  had 
him  appointed  king  of  Judea,  and  he  hurried  back  to  win  his  king- 
dom. It  was  a  long  struggle  he  had  with  Antigonus,  but  at  last  he 
was  victorious,  and,  having  married  Mariamme,  one  of  the  few  remain- 
ing Maccabees,  established  himself  as  king  over  all  Palestine. 

Herod  was  an  unscrupulous  man,  but  for  many  years  (37-4  B.  C.) 
he  ruled  Judea  probably  better  than  any  of  his  successors.  He  main- 
tained peace  on  the  frontier  and  peace  within  his  kingdom.  His  sub- 
jects seldom  loved  him,  but  they  never  rebelled  against  him.  He  was  a 
great  builder,  not  only  of  temples  and  colonnades  in  heathen  cities, 
and  public  buildings  at  Jerusalem,  but  of  entire  cities  as  well.  Chief 
among  these  latter  was  Caesarea,  which  afterward  became  the  Roman 
capital  of  Judea.  In  his  treatment  of  the  Jews  themselves  Herod 
mingled  severity  and  generosity.  He  put  down  disorders  very  cruelly, 
but  in  time  of  famine  he  remitted  taxes,  and  even  sold  his  gold  dishes 
to  buy  food  for  his  people.  The  Pharisees  did  not  like  him,  and 
among  his  last  acts  was  an  order  to  punish  some  of  them  terribly.  He 
also  deposed  and  appointed  high  priests  in  a  most  arbitrary  way.  Yet, 
in  order  to  secure  the  good-will  of  the  priests  and  the  people  at  large, 
he  rebuilt  the  temple  with  great  magnificence,  and  surrounded  it  with 
huge  pillars  and  marble  courts.  During  the  earlier  and  later  years  of 
his  reign  he  was  especially  anxious  about  making  his  position  as  king 
secure,  and  executed  every  person  he  thought  might  prove  a  dangerous 
rival..  Among  his  victims  were  Hyrcanus  II.,  his  own  wife  Mariamme, 
and  her  mother  and  brother,  his  own  uncle,  and  three  of  his  sons. 
When  he  died  the  people  were  ready  for  revolt,  and  begged  Augustus 
not  to  appoint  any  more  kings,  but  to  let  the  government  be  what  it 
had  been  so  long  before,  a  theocracy,  with  the  high  priest  and  the 
Sanhedrin  at  its  head. 

^6.  Palestine  after  the  Death  of  Herod  I. — But  Augustus  paid  no 
attention  to  this  request,  and  divided  the  kingdom  of  Herod,  according 
to  the  king's  will,  between  his  three  sons.  Archelaus  had  Judea, 
Samaria,  and  Idumea,  until  he  was  removed  for  bad  government  in 
A.  D.  6,  when  his  territory  was  made  into  the  Roman  province  of 
Judea.  Herod  Antipas  had  the  tetrarchy  of  Galilee  and  Perea. 
Herod  Philip  had  another  tetrarchy  composed  of  a  number  of  small 
territories  lying  to  the  east  of  Galilee.      These  were  the  three  political 


PALESTINE    DURING    THE    LAST    TWO    CENTURIES    B.   C.  1 5 

divisions  of  Palestine  during  all  the  lifetime  of  Jesus  save  the  first  few 
months. 

^  7.   References  for  further  Study. 

The  greatest  work  is  that  of  Schurer,  The  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Div.  I,  Vols.  I,  II.  Smaller  books  are :  Waddy-Moss,  From  Malachi  to 
Matthew;  Mathews,  A  History  of  New  Testament  Times  in  Palestine ;  Y  xi^LVi^A.TllE.K, 
From  the  Exile  to  the  Advent. 


Part  I. 
THE  THIRTY  YEARS  OF  PRIVATE  LIFE, 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  SOURCES  OF  OUR  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS :  THE 
ORIGIN  AND   PURPOSE  OF  THE  GOSPELS. 

^§1.  Prologue  of  John's  Gospel.  John  i  :i-i8. 

§2.  Preface  of  Luke's  Gospel.  Luke  z  :i-4. 

Remark. — This  chapter,  dealing  as  it  does  with  matter  of  great  importance,  but  of  some  difficulty 
also,  may  wisely  be  omitted  by  the  younger  of  those  pupils  for  whom  these  studies  are  intended,  or 
assigned  for  reading  only.     Here,  as  always,  there  is  room  for  the  exercise  of  the  teacher's  good  judgment. 

^  8.  Notes  on  §  *:,  John  i  :  i-i8. — These  verses,  commonly  called  the 
prologue  of  the  gospel  of  John,  are  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  part  of  the 
gospel  narrative  of  the  life  of  Jesus  on  earth.  They  are  an  attempt  of 
the  evangelist  to  bring  his  own  conception  of  Jesus  into  relation  with 
certain  ideas  about  the  relation  of  God  to  the  world  which  were  current 
among  some  of  those  for  whom  he  wrote  his  gospel.  To  many  people 
of  ancient  times  it  seemed  impossible  to  suppose  that  God  could  have 
anything  directly  to  do  with  the  world.  Matter  —  the  material  of 
which  the  world  is  made  —  they  thought  was  in  itself  evil,  and,  there- 
fore, a  good  aiiJ  perfect  God  could  not  have  created  it,  and  could  not 
deal  in  any  way  directly  with  the  world.  But  since  it  was  necessary  to 
suppose  that  all  things  came  ultimately  from  God,  they  imagined  that 
in  creating  the  world  and  communicating  with  it  God  acted  through 
an  intermediate  being  or  beings,  though  these  were  generally  so 
vaguely  conceived  of  that  they  could  scarcely  be  called  beings  at  all. 
For  these  beings  one  of  the  favorite  names  was  "Word,"  a  word  being 
that  through  which  a  being  acts  and  makes  himself  known  to  others. 
But  none  of  these  beings,  if  indeed  they  could  be  called  "beings," 

*  These  section  titles  are,  by  permission  of  the  publishers,  Silver,  Burdett  &  Co., 
reprinted  from  the  Harmony  of  the  Gospels  for  Historical  Study,  by  Wm.  Arnold 
Stevens  and  Ernest  DeWitt  Burton,  Boston,  1894. 

17 


l8  LIFE   .OF    CHRIST 

were  or  could  be  definitely  known.  They  were  creations  of  the  imagi- 
nation, devised  to  bridge  the  gap  between  God  and  the  world,  includ- 
ing the  world  of  men.  In  fact,  however,  instead  of  bringing  God 
nearer  to  men,  they  only  put  him  farther  off. 

To  all  such  ideas  the  writer  of  this  gospel  was  opposed.  He 
believed  in  a  God  near  at  hand,  who  had  always  been  revealing  him- 
self to  men  and  who  had  now  made  the  crowning  revelation  of  himself 
through  Jesus  Christ.  He  would  put  no  being  between  God  and  the 
world  save  the  "  Word,"  who  did  not  by  so  much  as  one  step  remove 
God  from  the  world,  being  himself  a  perfect  and  true  expression  of 
God,  through  whom  God  has  come  into  real  relation  with  the  world, 
and  through  whom  men  could  truly  know  God. 

If  these  things  are  kept  in  mind  as  we  read  the  evangelist's  pro- 
logue, we  shall  see  that  he  emphasizes  especially  these  thoughts  :  The 
Word  of  God,  he  through  whom  God  has  expressed  himself  to  the 
world,  is  one  who  perfectly  reveals  God ;  he  was  "  in  the  beginning ; " 
as  far  back  as  thought  can  go  he  was  already  there ;  existed,  moreover, 
in  "fellowship  v/ith  God;"  was  himself  "God."  All  things  that  are 
came  into  existence  through  him  ;  he  is  the  sole  and  only  agent  oC 
creation ;  he  has  always  been  in  the  world,  giving  light  to  men ;  they 
have  tried  to  shut  out  the  light,  but  have  never  wholly  succeeded ;  the 
light  has  gone  on  shining,  giving  light  to  every  man  that  comes  into 
the  world,  and  life  to  all  that  receive  him,  who  thus  become  sons  of 
God.  And  now  indeed  he  has  become  man,  and  we  have  seen  his 
glory,  revealing  to  us  truly,  as  an  only  son  reveals  a  father,  the  glorious 
nature  of  God. 

Thus  in  place  of  a  vague,  obscurely  conceived  "  Word,"  scarcely  a 
being  at  all,  and  certainly  wholly  unknown,  the  evangelist  puts  the 
real  historical  person  Jesus,  affirms  of  him  all,  and  more  than  all,  that 
others  had  said  of  the  imaginary  "Word."  In  place  of  a  series  or 
group  of  such  beings  he  puts  the  one  "Word,"  himself  God,  who  in 
Jesus  Christ  was  become  man. 

The  references  to  John  the  Baptist  in  vss.  7,  8,  15  are  probably 
intended  to  correct  or  oppose  the  view  held  by  some  that  John  the 
Baptist  was  the  real  Messiah.  The  evangelist  gives  to  John  a  place  of 
high  honor  as  a  witness  to  the  true  light  of  the  world,  but  denies  that 
he  was  the  light,  and  quotes  the  words  of  the  Baptist  himself  to  show 
that  he  regarded  himself  as  inferior  to  Jesus. 

These  verses  of  the  prologue  are  prefixed  to  the  gospel  somewhat 


SOURCES    OF    OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  JESUS  IQ 

as  a  modern  writer  puts  a  preface  or  an  introduction  to  his  book. 
They  stand  before  and  somewhat  apart  from  the  narrative  of  the  book, 
and  are  designed,  by  the  use  of  words  which  were  familiar  to  those 
who  would  read  the  book,  to  set  forth  a  true  conception  of  Jesus  as 
the  one  mediator  between  God  and  the  world,  the  Word  of  God 
become  flesh. 

This  prologue  serves  to  illustrate  one  important  fact  about  our  gos- 
pels, viz.,  that  they  were  written  to  meet  the  needs  of  particular  classes 
of  people,  and  were  shaped  somewhat  by  this  purpose. 

We  have  in  the  four  gospels  four  pictures  of  Jesus,  differing  from 
one  another,  partly  because  of  the  differences  in  the  men  that  wrote 
the  gospels,  but  not  less  because  of  the  differing  needs  of  the  people 
for  whom  they  were  severally  written.  The  better  we  understand  for 
what  readers  each  evangelist  wrote,  and  what  he  wished  by  his  gospel  to 
do  for  them,  the  more  perfectly  can  we  understand  their  books  and 
the  Jesus  of  whom  they  write.     See  below,  ^^  10-13. 

^9.  Notes  on  §2,  Luke  1:1-4. — These  verses,  commonly  called  the 
preface  of  Luke's  gospel,  should  be  read  very  attentively.  They  con- 
tain the  only  distinct  statement  by  a  gospel  writer  of  the  material 
which  he  had  at  his  command,  and  the  method  in  which  he  worked  in 
producing  his  book.  John  20:30,  31  is  the  only  other  passage  in 
which  a  gospel  writer  states  what  his  purpose  in  writing  was.  These 
verses  (Luke  i  :  1-4)  imply  several  facts  of  great  interest :  (a)  When 
Luke  wrote,  there  were  already  many  other  gospels  in  existence.  (Of 
these  no  more  than  two  at  most,  Matthew  and  Mark,  are  still  in  exist- 
ence, and  even  Matthew  may  have  been  written  later  than  Luke.) 
(d)  These  gospels  were  based  upon  the  testimony  which  the  per- 
sonal companions  of  Jesus  had  borne  (doubtless  orally)  concerning  the 
deeds  and  words  of  Jesus  ;  but  those  of  which  Luke  speaks  were  written, 
not  by  these  eyewitnesses  themselves,  but  by  those  who  had  received 
the'T  testimony,  (c)  Luke  counts  himself,  not  among  the  eyewitnesses, 
but  among  those  to  whom  the  eyewitnesses  had  reported  the  deeds 
and  words  of  Jesus.  He  implies,  therefore,  that  he  wrote  not  from 
personal  knowledge,  but  had  at  his  disposal  both  the  oral  testimony  of 
the  eyewitnesses  and  numerous  written  gospels.  {(/)  He  had  carefully 
studied  out  the  whole  history,  that  he  might  write  down  only  what 
was  true,  and  that  in  an  orderly  narrative,  (e)  Theophilus,  for  whom 
he  wrote,  had  already  been  taught  (orally)  concerning  these  things. 
This  was    probably  a  custom  of    this    time.     (/)   Luke's    purpose  in 


20  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

writing  was  to  give  to  Theophilus  —  perhaps  he  had  in  mind  many 
others  situated  as  Theophilus  was  —  a  firm  basis  for  historical  knowl- 
edge concerning  the  life  of  Jesus. 

It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  when  Luke  wrote,  a  considerable  time 
had  elapsed  since  the  life  of  Jesus  —  perhaps  a  generation,  forty  years 
or  more ;  that  in  this  time  there  had  been  considerable  writing  of 
gospels  on  the  part  of  Christians ;  that  our  four  gospels  are  the  sur- 
vivors of  a  larger  number  that  once  existed,  but  that  much  of  that 
which  was  contained  in  these  early  gospels  has  probably  been  taken  up 
into  the  gospels  we  have,  especially  Luke's.  It  would  be  extremely 
interesting  if  we  could  now  recover  these  oldest  gospels,  but  it  is  pos- 
sible that  they  would  add  but  few  to  the  facts  about  Jesus  that  we  now 
possess  in  the  gospels  we  have. 

^lo.  The  Gospel  of  Mark.  —  The  gospel  which  stands  second  in 
order  in  our  Bibles  is  the  shortest,  the  simplest,  and  probably  also  the 
oldest  of  the  four.  It  has  no  prologue,  like  John's ;  no  preface,  like 
Luke's ;  no  story  of  the  infancy  of  Jesus,  as  have  Matthew  and  Luke ; 
but,  after  a  very  brief  sketch  of  the  work  of  John  the  Baptist,  goes  on 
to  tell  the  story  of  Jesus'  public  ministry,  dwelling  here  especially  on 
his  deeds  and  reporting  his  discourses  much  less  fully  than  any  of  the 
other  three.  It  is  the  majestic  figure  of  Jesus,  as  he  walked  and 
worked  and  taught  among  men,  that  has  impressed  the  writer,  and  it 
is  this  that  he  seeks  to  bring  before  his  readers.  "Power"  has  often 
been  said  —  and  justly  —  to  be  the  keyword  and  thought  of  the  gos- 
pel. Though  undoubtedly  written,  like  all  the  other  gospels,  to  kindle 
or  encourage  faith,  it  does  not  do  so  by  set  argument,  and  even  in 
aim  it  is  less  distinctly  argumentative  than  the  other  gospels.  What 
the  writer  knows  of  the  life  of  Jesus  he  tells  with  simple  directness, 
confident,  apparently,  that  it  cannot  fail  to  make  its  own  powerful 
impression.  In  its  scope  and  in  its  conception  of  Jesus  it  reminds 
one  of  the  words  of  Peter  in  Acts  1:21:  "All  the  time  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  went  in  and  went  out  among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of 
John  unto  the  day  that  he  was  received  up  ; "  and  in  Acts  10  :  38  :  "Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  how  that  God  anointed  him  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
power  :  who  went  about  doing  good,  and  healing  all  that  were  oppressed 
of  the  devil,  for  God  was  with  him." 

The  Mark  to  whom  from  early  times  the  gospel  has  been  ascribed 
is  doubtless  the  John  Mark  mentioned  in  Acts  12  :  12,  25  ;  13  :  5,  13 ; 
15  '3h  39  ;  Col.  4:10;  Philem.  24;  i  Peter  5  113;  2  Tim.  4:11.    Very 


SOURCES    OF    OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  JESUS  21 

ancient  tradition  affirms  a  connection  of  the  apostle  Peter  with  this 
gospel ;  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that  Mark  derived  a  considerable 
part  of  his  material  from  what  he  had  heard  Peter  tell  concerning  Jesus. 
How  much  Mark  may  have  known  of  his  own  knowledge,  or  whether 
any  of  his  material  came  from  other  sources,  we  cannot  tell. 

The  gospel  was  probably  written  before,  but  not  long  before, 
70  A.  D. 

^11.  The  Gospel  of  Matthew. — Of  all  our  four  gospels  Matthew 
has  the  most  distinctly  Jewish  tone  and  color.  Apart  from  any  tradi- 
tion respecting  its  author,  the  gospel  itself  would  show  us  that  it  was 
written  by  a  Jew  and  for  Jews.  Notice  its  very  first  phrase, "  The  book  of 
the  generation  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  son  of  David,  the  son  of  Abraham ;" 
its  frequent  references  to  the  fulfilment  of  Old  Testament  prophecies 
(1:23;  2:6,  15,  17,  18,  23,  etc.) ;  its  use  of  Jewish  names,  such  as 
"the  holy  city"  (4:  5),  "the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel"  (10:6; 
15 :  24),  and  numerous  other  indications  scattered  through  the  gospel. 
It  is  evidently  the  purpose  of  the  writer  to  confirm  the  faith  of  his 
fellow  Jewish  Christians  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  foretold  in  prophecy, 
and  in  particular  to  convince  them  that  by  the  Jews'  rejection  of  this 
Messiah,  who  came  first  of  all  to  them,  and,  so  far  as  his  own  work  was 
concerned,  to  them  alone,  they  had  lost  their  place  of  preeminence  in 
the  kingdom,  and  the  kingdom  had  became  a  kingdom  for  all  nations, 
the  old  national  limitations  and  the  distinctive  Jewish  institutions  being 
no  longer  in  force.  The  true  Jew  must,  accepting  Jesus  as  Messiah, 
become  a  Christian,  and  take  his  place  in  the  kingdom  that  was  no 
longer  exclusively  Jewish.  The  book  that  begins  strictly  within  the 
circle  of  Jewish  thought,  setting  forth  Jesus  as  the  son  of  David  and 
the  Christ  of  prophecy,  ends  with  the  great  commission  of  the  Messiah, 
rejected  by  his  own-^nation:   "Go  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations." 

Of  Matthew  the  apostle  the  New  Testament  gives  us  very  little 
account  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  a  publican  when  Jesus  called  him 
to  follow  him  (Matt.  9:9;  10:3).  An  early  Christian  writer  tells  us 
that  "  Matthew  wrote  the  sayings  [of  the  Lord]  in  Hebrew."  But 
almost  from  the  first  Christians  generally  used  not  this  Hebrew  gospel, 
but  the  (Greek)  gospel  which  we  have  today.  Some  scholars  suppose 
that  the  Greek  gospel  was  simply  a  translation  of  the  Hebrew  book, 
but  others  think  —  and  this  seems  on  the  whole  more  probable  —  that 
the  Hebrew  book  consisted  mainly  of  the  sayings  or  discourses  of 
Jesus,  and  that  the  Greek  gospel,  our  present  Matthew,  was,  so  to  speak. 


22  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

a  second  and  enlarged  edition  containing  the  contents  of  the  original 
gospel,  and  also  other  material  derived  from  sources  such  as  those  of 
which  Luke  speaks  in  his  preface.  The  new  book  naturally  retained 
the  name  of  the  old,  and  has  borne  that  name  from  very  early  times 
till  now. 

Many  of  the  narratives  in  Matthew  are  found  in  nearly  the  same 
words  in  Mark,  though  not  infrequently  the  order  of  events  is  different 
in  the  two  gospels.  It  is  probable  that  in  these  cases  the  narrative  in 
Matthew  is  derived  from  Mark,  the  change  of  order  being  usually  due 
to  a  desire  to  bring  the  narratives  into  connection  with  teachings  which 
they  illustrate,  or  to  bring  teachings  on  the  same  subject  together. 
For  this  reason  in  studying  the  life  of  Christ  we  usually  follow  Mark's 
order  in  preference  to  Matthew's. 

Our  gospel  of  Matthew  was  probably  published  not  many  years 
after  the  gospel  of  Mark. 

•[[12.  The  Gospel  of  Luke. — The  Luke  whose  name  our  third  gospel 
bears  is  undoubtedly  the  beloved  physician  whom  the  apostle  Paul 
mentions  in  Philem.  24  ;  Col.  4:  14;  2  Tim.  4:11.  These  passages 
show  him  to  have  been  a  companion  and  fellow- worker  of  the  apostle. 
If,  as  is  generally  believed,  he  was  present  wherever  he  uses  the  pro- 
noun "we  "  in  the  Acts  narrative,  then  Acts  16  :  10-40  ;  20:6;  21:17; 
chaps.  27,  28,  also  tell  us  of  journeys  which  he  took  with  the  apostle. 

The  preface  of  Luke  (see  ^  9)  prepares  us  not  to  expect  a  distinct 
argumentative  purpose  in  his  gospel,  such  as  we  find  in  Matthew. 
His  aim  was  to  tell  as  completely  as  the  material  accessible  to  him 
permitted  the  story  of  Jesus'  life,  and  this  that  he  might  furnish  to 
Christians  trustworthy  information  concerning  that  life  as  a  whole, 
rather  than  to  prove  any  particular  proposition  concerning  him.  In 
both  respects  the  book  corresponds  with  this  expectation.  Like  Mark 
in  the  absence  of  any  specific  argumentative  purpose,  it  approaches 
more  nearly  to  Matthew  in  its  fulness  of  narrative,  beginning  with  the 
story  of  the  infancy  and  ending  only  with  the  ascension  of  Jesus. 

Yet  the  gospel  is  not  wholly  without  a  distinctive  character  of 
its  own.  Emphasizing  the  power  of  Jesus  less  strongly  than  does 
Mark,  it  presents  what  may  perhaps  be  called  in  a  very  broad  sense 
the  social  side  of  his  life  and  teachings  more  emphatically.  The 
intimate  relation  of  Jesus  with  mankind,  in  the  family,  in  the  Jewish 
church,  and  in  the  state ;  his  subjection  to  the  law,  Jewish  and  Roman  ; 
his  obedience  to  parents ;  his  friendship  for  the  publicans  and  sinners, 


SOURCES    OF    OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  JESUS  23 

for  all  however  low  or  poor  —  these  things  appear  in  Luke  as  in  no 
other  gospel.  In  his  teachings,  too,  as  reported  in  the  third  gospel, 
he  emphasizes  the  duty  of  men  in  their  relation  to  one  another,  and 
the  universality  of  these  relationships.  As  he  is  the  brother  and  Savior 
of  all,  so  he  teaches  also  that  they  are  to  be  friends  and  helpers  of  one 
another,  ignoring  the  lines  that  separate  Jew  from  Gentile,  Pharisee 
from  publican,  man  from  woman. 

Among  the  gospels  already  in  existence  when  Luke  wrote  (see  ^9) 
Mark's  was  doubtless  one;  as  between  Matthew  and  Mark,  so  also 
between  Luke  and  Mark  there  are  many  parallels,  /.  e.,  accounts  of  the 
same  event  in  nearly  the  same  words,  and  it  is  probable  that  in  these 
cases  Luke  as  well  as  Matthew  drew  from  Mark.  Other  sources  Luke 
also  had,  but  we  cannot  name  them  with  certainty.  They  must  have 
been  in  part  the  same  as  Matthew's,  since  in  addition  to  the  passages 
that  are  found  in  all  three  gospels  there  are  a  number  which  are  found 
in  Matthew  and  Luke,  though  not  in  Mark.  He  testifies  that  he  scruti- 
nized them  all  with  care  (i  :  3). 

This  gospel  was  probably  put  forth  about  the  same  time  as  Matthew's, 
say  in  the  vicinity  of  80  A.  D. 

^13.  The  Gospel  of  John. — The  prologue  of  this  gospel  (see  T^  8) 
indicates  that  the  author  wished  to  oppose  certain  false  ideas  of  God's 
relation  to  the  world,  and  to  maintain  the  uniqueness  and  all-sufficiency 
of  the  revelation  of  God  in  Christ.  In  John  20:31  we  read:  "But 
these  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  [/.  e.,  continue  to  believe]  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye  may  have 
[/.  <?.,  continue  to  have]  life  in  his  name."  From  these  words  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  gospel  was  written  to  maintain  the  faith  of  the  readers  in 
Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  so  also  their  spiritual  life  in 
him.  We  judge,  therefore,  that  those  for  whom  the  gospel  was  specially 
intended  were  in  danger  of  being  led  away  from  faith  in  Christ  by 
these. false  conceptions  of  God's  relation  to  the  world  —  conceptions 
which  belittled  the  work  of  Christ  as  mediator  between  God  and  men, 
or  excluded  it  altogether  —  and  that  the  gospel  was  written  to  counter- 
act their  influence  and  maintain  the  faith  of  the  disciples.  This  is 
confirmed  also  by  the  whole  gospel,  which,  in  chaps.  1-4,  gives  exam- 
ples of  the  beginnings  of  faith  in  Jesus,  and  of  unbelief;  in  chaps.  5-12 
depicts  the  growth  of  faith  and  unbelief  ;  in  chaps.  13-17  shows  the 
reward  of  faith  in  the  fuller  revelation  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples ;  in 
chaps.   18,   19,  the    apparent    triumph   and   dreadful    culmination    of 


24  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

unbelief  in  putting  Jesus  to  death ;  and  in  chap.  20,  the  triumph  of 
Jesus  over  death,  justifying  and  confirming  faith. 

From  the  letters  to  the  Colossians  and  Ephesians  we  know  that 
ideas  similar  to  those  which  are  opposed  in  the  prologue  were  preva- 
lent in  Asia  Minor  in  the  first  Christian  century,  and  that  the  tendency 
of  them  was  to  destroy  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  one  all-sufficient  mediator 
between  God  and  man.  See  especially  Col.  i  :  15-20;  2  :  8  ff.;  16  ff. 
Quite  likely,  then,  it  was  in  this  region,  perhaps  at  Ephesus,  that  our 
gospel  was  written,  and  in  all  probability  for  Gentile  Christians.  It 
was  quite  certainly  the  latest  of  our  gospels ;  it  was  probably  written 
about  100  A.  D. 

The  gospel  has  been  from  very  early  days  attributed,  rightly  as  we 
believe,  to  John  the  apostle,  son  of  Zebedee,  so  often  referred  to  in  the 
other  gospels,  though  never  mentioned  by  name  in  this  one.  The 
arrangement  of  the  material  as  it  now  stands  is  perhaps  due  to  some 
disciple  or  successor  of  John,  but  the  material  is,  we  are  constrained 
to  believe,  in  large  part,  if  not  entirely,  from  the  hand  of  John  ;  and 
in  the  absence  of  decisive  evidence  enabling  us  to  put  the  events  in 
an  order  which  we  can  be  sure  is  more  nearly  historical  than  that  of 
the  gospel  itself,  we  shall  treat  the  narratives  in  the  order  in  which 
they  stand. 

^  14.  Other  Sources  for  the  Life  of  Jesus. —  In  the  study  of  the  life 
of  Jesus  it  is  usual  to  depend  almost  entirely  upon  the  four  gospels, 
and  this  plan  will  be  followed  in  the  present  study.  But  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  there  are  other  valuable  sources,  some  of  them  older 
than  our  gospels.  If  all  our  four  gospels  had  perished  in  the  early 
centuries,  and  every  quotation  from  them  also,  we  should  still  know 
much  about  Jesus. 

Non-Christian  writers  could  tell  us  something.  Josephus,  the 
Jewish  historian,  mentions  Jesus  in  one  passage  {Ant.,  XX,  9,  1),  and 
probably  also  in  another  (Ant.,  XVIII,  3,  3).  Tacitus,  the  Roman  his- 
torian, speaks  of  him  in  his  Annals  (XV,  44),  as  also  Pliny  in  his 
Letters  (X,  96),  to  which  is  to  be  added  a  possible  reference  in  Sue- 
tonius {Vita  Claud.,  chap.  XXV).  The  Talmud,  the  great  Jewish  law- 
book, repeatedly  refers  to  Jesus  under  thinly  veiled  disguises. 

The  very  existence  of  the  Christian  church  and  the  records  of  its 
history  attest  the  existence  of  Jesus,  and  bear  important  testimony  as 
to  his  character,  influence,  and  date.  This  most  valuable  testimony, 
often  forgotten,  is  of  the  highest  significance. 


SOURCES    OF    OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  JESUS  2$ 

The  epistles  of  the  New  Testament,  especially  the  letters  of  Paul, 
bear  very  important  testimony.  A  life  of  Jesus  based  on  the  epistles 
of  Paul  would  be  meager,  indeed,  compared  with  the  gospel  record, 
but,  if  we  had  not  the  gospels,  would  be  of  inestimable  value.  As  matters 
are,  the  testimony  of  Paul  has  a  peculiar  value,  because  it  comes 
directly  from  the  pen  of  an  apostle  whose  history  gives  it  peculiar 
value,  and  because  these  letters  are  older  than  any  of  our  gospels. 
From  these  v.Titings  alone  we  could  learn  the  great  capital  facts 
respecting  Jesus.  Fortunately,  however,  we  possess  also  the  gospels 
with  their  much  fuller  accounts  of  his  words  and  deeds. 


^15.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.  —  ( i )  Read  carefully 
John  I  :  1-18  and  ^8.  Then  (2)  state  to  what  general  concep- 
tion of  the  relation  of  God  to  the  world  this  prologue  is  opposed, 
(3)  Describe  some  of  the  theories  to  which  this  conception 
gave  rise.  (4)*  What  are  the  main  propositions  of  the  pro- 
logue with  which  it  opposes  these  theories?  (5)  What  is  the 
probable  purpose  of  the  references  to  John  the  Baptist  in  vss. 
7,  8,  15  ?  (6)*  What  relation  does  the  prologue  sustain  to  the 
rest  of  the  gospel  ?  (7)  What  fact  respecting  the  origin  of  our 
gospels  does  it  illustrate?  (8)  What  great  central  and  funda- 
mental truths  of  Christianity  does  it  set  forth  and  emphasize? 
Name  two  or  more  of  these,  stating  them  with  care. 

(9)  Read  carefully  Luke  1:1-4  and  ^9;  then  (10)*  state 
what  these  verses  imply  respecting  early  gospel  writings  and  the 
method  and  purpose  of  Luke.  (11)  Of  the  many  gospel  writings 
here  referred  to  how  many  still  exist? 

(12)*  State  the  chief  peculiarities  of  the  gospel  of  Mark. 
(13)  Give  a  short  sketch  of  the  life  of  Mark.  (14)  What 
relation  did  the  apostle  Peter  probably  have  to  this  gospel  ? 
(15)  What  words  of  Peter  in  Acts  appropriately  describe  Jesus 
as  presented  in  this  gospel?  (16)  When  was  this  gospel 
written  ? 

(17)*  In  what  way  does  the  gospel  of  Matthew  indicate  its 
Jewish  character?  (18)*  What  does  the  gospel  itself  show  to 
have  been  the  purpose  of  the  evangelist  in  writing  it  ?   C^Q)*  What 


26  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

conception  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  of  Christianity  does  it 
aim  to  give  to  its  readers,  a  narrowly  Jewish  conception  or  a 
broadly  Christian  one  ?  (20)  Of  what  did  the  original  gospel 
of  Matthew  probably  consist,  and  in  what  language  was  it  writ- 
ten ?  (21)  What  is  the  probable  relation  of  the  gospel  of 
Matthew  to  this  original  Hebrew  gospel?  (22)  How  does  it 
happen  that  so  many  events  are  told  in  both  Matthew  and  Mark 
in  nearly  the  same  words?  (23)  When  was  the  gospel  of 
Matthew  published? 

(24)  Who  was  Luke  the  evangelist  ?  (25)*  What  was  his  pur- 
pose in  writing  his  gospel?  (26)  From  what  material  was  he 
able  to  draw,  and  how  did  he  use  this  material?  (27)*  What 
phase  of  Jesus*  life  and  teaching  does  he  specially  emphasize  ? 
(28)  How  does  it  happen  that  Mark  and  Luke  have  many  narra- 
tives expressed  in  nearly  the  same  words?  (29)  When  was  the 
gospel  of  Luke  published  ? 

(30)*  In  what  words  does  the  gospel  of  John  state  its  own 
purpose?  Explain  the  meaning  of  these  words.  (31)*  What 
error  is  it  intended  to  correct ;  what  positive  result  does  it  aim 
to  produce?  (32)  For  whom  was  it  specially  written,  and  in 
what  region  ?  (33)  From  whom  does  this  gospel  take  its  name, 
and  what  was  his  relation  to  the  gospel  ? 

(34)*  From  what  sources  other  than  the  four  gospels  can  we 
derive  information  concerning  the  life  of  Jesus  ?  (35)*  Name 
three  non-Christian  writers  who  speak  of  him  in  their  works. 
(36)  How  do  the  existence  and  records  of  the  Christian  church 
bear  witness  to  his  life  ?  (37)  What  part  of  the  New  Testament 
outside  the  gospels  contains  the  most  valuable  evidence  ? 
(38)*  What  gives  peculiar  value  to  the  testimony  of  the  epistles 
of  Paul  ?  (39)  What  facts  of  the  life  of  Jesus  are  most  frequently 
spoken  of  in  the  letters  of  Paul  ? 

^16.  Constructive  Work. —  Let  the  student,  having  completed  the 
study  indicated  in  this  chapter,  write  a  chapter  for  his  "  Life  of  Christ," 
on  some  such  plan  as  the  following : 


SOURCES    OF    OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  JESUS  2^ 

CHAPTER    I. 
THE    SOURCES    OF   OUR    KNOWLEDGE    OF   THE    LIFE    OF   JESUS. 

1.  Jesus  an  historical  person. 

2.  The  various  classes  of  books  from  which  our  knowledge  of  his 
life  is  derived. 

3.  How  (in  general)  our  gospels  came  to  be  written. 

4.  The  gospel  of  Mark,  its  author,  purpose,  and  general  character- 
istics. 

5.  The  gospel  of  Matthew. 

6.  The  gospel  of  Luke. 

7.  The  gospel  of  John. 

^17.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  sources  of  the  life  of  Jesus  (in  general). 

Anthony,  An  Introduction  to  the  Life  of  Jesus  (especially  useful  on  the  extra- 
biblical  sources);  Gilbert,  The  Student's  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  13-78;  Sanday,  art. 
"Jesus  Christ"  in  Hastings,  A  Dictionary  of  the  Bible;  Burton,  in  Biblical 
World,  December,  1895. 

2.  The  testimony  of  the  epistles  to  the  life  of  Jesus.  A  very 
instructive  study  may  be  made  by  reading  through  the  epistles  of  Paul 
and  gathering  all  the  references  which  he  makes  to  the  life  of  Jesus, 
and  then  arranging  these  so  as  to  give  his  connected  testimony. 

Knowling,  Witness  of  the  Epistles:  Gilbert,  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  74-8. 

3.  The  gospel  of  Matthew. 

Gloag,  Introduction  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels;  Dods,  Introduction  to  the  New  Testa- 
mmt;  Bruce,  in  Expositor's  Greek  Testament;  Burton,  in  Biblical  World,  Janu- 
ary and  February,  1898. 

4.  The  gospel  of  Mark. 

Gloag,  Dods,  and  Bruce,  as  above;  Gould,  Introduction  in  Commentary  on 

Mark. 

5.  The  gospel  of  Luke. 

Gloag,  Dods,  and  Bruce,  as  above ;  Plummer,  Introduction  in  Commentary  on 
Luke;  Mathews,  in  Biblical  World,  May  and  June,  1895. 

6.  The  gospel  of  John. 

Gloag,  Introduction  to  the  Johannine  Writings;  Watkins,  art.  "  John,  Gospel 
of,"  in  Smith,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  2d  ed.;  REYNOLDS,  art.  "John,  Gospel  of,"  in 
Hastings,  Z>zV/.  i5z^. ,'  Burton,  in  Biblical  World,  January  and  February,  1899; 
Dods,  as  above,  and  in  Expositor  'j  Greek  Testament. 


28  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE    BIRTH    OF  JOHN   THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF   JESUS. 

§  3.  The  two  genealogies. 

Matt.  1 : 1-17.  Luke  3  : 23-38. 

§  4.  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist  promised. 

Luke    I  :  5-25. 
§  5.  The  annunciation  to  Mary. 


§  6.  The  annunciation  to  Joseph. 
Matt.  I  :  18-25. 

§  7.  Mary's  visit  to  Elizabeth. 
§  8.  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist. 


Luke  I  :  26-38. 

Luke  I  :  39-56. 
Luke  I  :  57-80. 


§  9.  Birth  of  Jesus  the  Christ. 

[Matt.  I  :  18-25.]  Luke     2:1-7. 

§10.  The  angels  and  the  shepherds. 

Luke  2 : 8-20. 

^18.  Notes  on  §4,  Luke  1:5-25. — Vs.  5,  "Herod,  king  of  Judea," 
viz.,  Herod  the  Great;  cf.  ^5.  "Of  the  course  of  Abijah":  cf.  i 
Chron.  23:6 ;  24:  i,  10.  Each  course  was  on  duty  one  week  at  a  time, 
and  since  there  were  twenty-four  courses,  each  served  two  weeks  a 
year.  See  Edersheim,  Temple,  pp.  63,  66.  Vs.  9,  "his  lot  was," 
rather,  it  fell  to  him  by  lot.  The  different  duties  of  the  worship  were 
assigned  by  lot,  and  the  burning  of  the  incense  was  considered  the 
most  honorable  part  of  the  daily  service.  According  to  Edersheim, 
no  priest  could  take  this  part  a  second  time  while  there  was  another 
eligible  one  who  had  not  performed  it  (Edersheim,  Temple,  pp.  122, 
133)-  Vs.  II,  "on  the  right  side  of  the  altar  of  incense":  in  the 
holy  place  the  altar  stood  just  in  front  of  the  veil  separating  it  from 
the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  table  for  the  shewbread  being  on  the  right- 
hand  side,  and  the  golden  candlestick  on  the  left.  The  position  of 
the  angel  is  therefore  as  if  he  had  just  come  out  of  the  Holy  of 
Holies.  See  the  plan  on  p.  68.  Vs.  17,  "in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Elijah,"  etc. :  reproving  the  people  for  their  sins,  as  Elijah  had  done. 
See  Mai.  4 :  5,  6.     Vs.  23,  "departed  unto  his  house."     Cf.  vss.  39,  40. 

^19.  Notes  on  §5,  Luke  1:26-38.  —  Vs.  26,  "the  angel  Gabriel":  cf. 
vs.  19.  "Nazareth"  :  see  ^  21.  Vs.  27,  "of  the  house  of  David"  :  most 
naturally  understood  to  refer  to  Joseph.  Vs.  32,  "the  Son  of  the  Most 
High"  :  on  the  meaning  of  this  expression  see  ^  20. 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS  29 

These  verses  (31-33)  predict  of  Jesus  those  things  which  in  2  Sam. 
7:14;  I  Chron.  17:13,  14;  22: 10  are  promised  to  the  Son  of  David. 
They  would  naturally  be  understood  at  this  time,  before  the  Christ  had 
come  and  fulfilled  them  in  a  more  spiritual  sense,  as  referring  to  a 
Jewish  kingdom  to  be  set  up  in  Jerusalem  with  political  as  well  as 
spiritual  power.  Compare  with  these  words  those  of  the  Jewish 
hymn  quoted  below  in  ^28. 

Vs.  35,  "The  Holy  Ghost,"  etc. —  Observe  the  correspondence 
between  the  character  of  the  power  to  which  the  birth  of  the  child  is 
due  and  that  of  the  chiJd  himself.  It  is  upon  this  that  the  emphasis  of 
the  sentence  is  thrown.     On  the  meaning  of  "  Son  of  God  "  see  ^f  20. 

^20.  The  Term  "Son  of  God." — The  expression  "son  of  God"  is  used 
both  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  New  to  describe  a  person  or  people  as 
sustaining  toward  God  some  one  or  more  of  the  relations  which  a  son  sustains 
to  a  father.  "  My  Son,"  when  the  "  my  "  refers  to  God,  or  Son  of  the  Highest, 
have  the  same  meaning.  The  particular  filial  relation  which  is  emphasized 
may  vary  greatly.  Thus  one  may  be  called  son  of  God  (i)  as  owing  his 
existence  directly  to  God  (so  probably  in  Luke  3  :  38)  ;  or  (2)  as  superhuman 
and  like  God  in  nature  (so  of  angels  or  the  like  in  Job  i  :  6  ;  2  :  i ;  38  :  7  ;  and 
of  men  after  the  resurrection  in  Luke  20  :  36,  and  probably  in  this  sense  of 
Christ  in  Rom.  1:4);  or  (3)  as  like  God  in  moral  character  (so  of  men  in 
Matt.  5  19,  45  ;  John  1:12;  Rom.  8  :  29  ;  by  implication  of  Jesus  in  John  i:  14  ; 
14:7);  or  (4)  as  the  object  of  God's  special  approving  love  or  choice  (as  of 
Israel  in  Exod.  4  :  22,  23  ;  Deut.  14:1,  2  ;  Hos.  1 1 :  i ;  of  God's  people,  without 
restriction  to  Israel,  in  Rom.  9  :  26  ;  2  Cor.  6:18;  Gal.  4:5;  and  of  Jesus  in 
Matt.  3:17;  4:3,6;  11:27;  17:5,  and  the  parallel  passages  in  the  other 
gospels ;  John  3:17);  or  (5)  as  being  one  who  acts  for  God  as  a  son  for  his 
father  (so  of  the  predicted  son  of  David  and  king  of  Israel  in  2  Sam.  7:14; 
I  Chron.  1 7 : 1 3,  1 4  ;  22  :  i  o  ;  Ps.  2:7;  89  :  20-37,  with  this  sense  the  preceding 
one  being  usually  blended).  It  is  probably  in  this  sense,  and  thus  as  nearly 
equivalent  to  the  official  term  Messiah,  that  the  expression  is  used  of  Jesus 
in  Matt.  16  :  16  ;  Mark  14  :6i.  It  is  in  this  last-named  sense  that  it  is  most 
natural  to  understand  the  expression  "Son  of  the  Most  High"  in  vs.  32,  the 
following  clauses  going  on  to  speak  of  his  receiving  the  throne  of  his  father 
David  and  reigning  over  the  house  of  Jacob  forever.  Cf.  2  Sam.  7:14; 
I  Chron.  22:10.  In  vs.  35,  on  the  other  hand,  "Son  of  God"  emphasizes 
especially  the  fact  that  the  child  Jesus  derives  his  existence  not  from  a 
human  father,  but  owes  it  directly  to  God  {cf.  3  :  38)  ;  with  this  is  associated 
also  the  idea  of  moral  likeness  to  God,  but  this  is  expressed  more  by  the 
word  "holy"  than  by  the  term  "Son  of  God." 

^2 1 .  Nazareth. — About  opposite  the  southern  end  of  the  sea  of  Galilee 


30  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

the  range  of  mountains  that  forms  so  large  a  part  of  western  Palestine 
is  deflected  to  the  west,  terminating  in  the  abrupt  mass  of  Carmel,  and 
leaving  in  the  general  line  of  the  range  a  considerable  triangular 
plain  —  the  famous  plain  of  Jezreel  or  Esdraelon.  Here  more  than 
one  of  Israel's  great  battles  were  fought.  East  of  it  lies  Mt.  Gilboa, 
where  Saul  was  slain,  and  Little  Hermon,  on  whose  slopes  lies  Nain,  the 
home  of  the  widow  whose  son  Jesus  raised  to  life.  Bounding  the 
plain  on  the  north  is  a  range  of  hills,  sometimes  called  the  Nazareth 
range,  crossing  the  main  watershed  nearly  at  right  angle.  The  highest 
point  of  these  hills  is  at  Neby  Sa'in,  1,602  feet  above  the  sea.  Between 
Neby  Sa'in  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  about  two  miles  south  of  the 
former,  is  Jebel  Kafsy,  1,280  feet  above  the  sea  level,  nearly  1,000  feet 
above  Esdraelon.  Climb  Kafsy  from  Esdraelon,  and  looking  into  and 
across  the  valley  —  more  exactly  it  is  a  saucer-like  basin  —  between 
Kafsy  and  Sa'in,  you  will  see  the  village  of  El-Nasira  on  the  south- 
ern slope  of  Sa'in,  450  feet  below  its  peak.  The  town  contains 
7,000-8,000  inhabitants,  and  its  very  name  identifies  it  as  Nazareth,  the 
home  of  Joseph  and  Mary.  In  the  time  of  Jesus  it  was  perhaps  no 
larger  than  it  is  today,  and  possibly  was  not  in  quite  the  same  location. 
Its  noble  spring,  however,  now  known  as  the  Virgin's  Fountain,  was 
unquestionably  where  it  is  today,  and  on  the  great  hill  that  rises 
behind  it  Jesus  may  often  have  watched  the  ships  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean, less  than  twenty  miles  away,  and  the  caravans  as  they  went  along 
the  great  road  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  town,  or  on  their  way  across 
Esdraelon  to  some  seaport  or  Egypt.  But  Nazareth  itself  was  never 
on  any  of  the  great  trade  routes  and  could  never  have  been  a  town  of 
great  commercial  importance. 

See  George  Adam  Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,  pp.  432-5; 
Parker,  "A  Reminiscence  of  Nazareth,"  in  Biblical  World,  Vol.  VII,  p.  189; 
Baedeker,  Palestine  and  Syria;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Tijues  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  144-8;  Andrews,  Life  of  Our  Lord,  p^.  104-8;  Merrill,  Galilee  in 
the  Time  of  Christ,  pp.  113-19  ;  George  Adam  Smith,  "Home  of  Our  Lord's  Child- 
hood," in  Biblical  World,  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  435  ff. 

^22.  Notes  on  §6,  Matt.  1:18-25. — Vs.  19,  "A  righteous  man  and 
not  willing  to  make  her  a  public  example  "  :  his  righteousness  would 
deter  him,  on  the  one  side,  from  marrying  her  while  suspicious  of  her 
character,  and,  on  the  other,  from  publicly  disgracing  her  whom  till 
now  he  had  believed  in  ac  a  pure  and  virtuous  woman  ;  hence  he 
is  disposed  to  adopt   the  middle  course :    to  put   her  away,  but  not 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS  3I 

publicly.  "  Put  her  away,"  /.  ^,,  divorce ;  among  the  Jews  a  betrothal 
could  be  broken  only  as  a  marriage  could,  by  divorce.  Divorce  was  a 
private  matter  between  the  two  parties,  although  the  separation  would 
come  to  be  known.  Vs.  21,  "for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people": 
These  words  explain  the  name  Jesus,  which  means  "Savior;"  "his 
people  "  would  mean  to  Joseph  the  children  of  Israel.  "  From  their 
sins":  It  is  the  sins  of  the  people  that  have  brought  them  into  distress, 
and  salvation,  even  political  salvation,  can  come  only  through  deliver- 
ance from  their  sins.  Vs.  22,  "Now  all  this  is  come  to  pass,"  etc 
Matthew  is  specially  interested  in  events  which  fulfil  Old  Testament 
prophecy.  See  2:6,  15,  18,  23;  3:3;  4:  15;  8:  17  ;  21:4;  27  :  9. 
This  dream-vision  is  the  complement  for  Joseph  of  the  appearance  of 
the  angel  to  Mary.  Throughout  Luke's  narrative  Mary's  experiences 
are  prominent ;  throughout  Matthew's  the  experiences  of  Joseph. 

^23.  Notes  on  §7,  Luke  1:39-56. — Vs.  39,  "the  hill  country": 
/.  e.y  probably  the  mountainous  region  south  of  Jerusalem,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hebron ;  the  exact  home  of  Zacharias  is  not  known. 
Vss.  46-56.  This  psalm  of  Mary,  commonly  known  from  the 
first  word  of  the  Latin  version  as  the  ''Magnificats^  is  expressed 
largely  in  the  language  of  the  Old  Testament  and  moves  largely  in  the 
atmosphere  which  characterizes  the  later  Jewish  psalm  quoted  in  \  28. 
It  is  the  language  of  humble  gratitude  to  God  and  of  pious  yet  exult- 
ant joy  in  the  thought  of  the  heir  of  David's  throne  whose  mother  she 
was  to  be.  The  whole  psalm  is  consonant  with  the  situation  and  time 
to  which  the  evangelist  ascribes  it ;  it  is  difficult  to  think  of  such  a 
psalm  as  having  been  written  after  the  Messiah  had  come  and  lived, 
not  the  life  of  a  political  deliverer,  but  of  a  teacher  and  suffering 
Savior  rejected  by  Israel. 

%  24.  Notes  on  §8,  Luke  i :  57-80. — Vs.  59,  "  On  the  eighth  day"  -. 
4f.  Gen.  17:12.  Vss.  68-79.  This  prophetic  psalm  of  Zacharias  is,  like 
that  of  Mary,  permeated  with  the  patriotic  hope  and  joyful  expectation 
of  a  son  of  David  who  should  deliver  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of  their 
enemies.  As  with  the  prophets  of  old,  so  here  patriotism  and  religion 
are  inseparably  mingled.  The  hope  and  ideal  of  the  aged  priest  for 
his  nation  are  clearly  seen  in  vss.  74,  75.  Even  more  strongly  than 
that  of  Mary  it  reminds  us  of  the  hopes  cherished  by  the  psalmist  of  fifty 
years  earlier  (^  28),  and,  like  Mary's,  agrees  perfectly  with  the  circum- 
stances and  occasion. 

^25.   Notes  on  §  9,  Luke  2  : 1-7. — On  the  questions  of  chronology 


32  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

raised  by  vss.  i,  2,  see  1[  31.  Vs.  4,  "  Bethlehem,"  see  ^  27.  "  He  was 
of  the  house  and  family  of  David":  cf.  on  i  :  27.  Vs.  5,  "who 
was  betrothed  to  him":  this  statement  is  somewhat  different,  but  not 
materially  so,  from  that  of  Matthew  in  i  :  24,  25. 

^1  26.  Notes  on  §  10,  Luke  2  :  8-20. — Vs.  8,  "shepherds  ....  keep- 
ing watch  by  night  over  their  flock  "  :  This  does  not  decide  the  time 
of  the  year.  In  a  mild  season  and  near  the  towns  this  might  happen 
in  any  month.  Vs.  9,  "  the  glory  of  the  Lord"  :  the  brightness  which 
is  the  token  of  the  Lord's  presence;  cf.  Exod.  16  :  7  ;  24  :  17  ;  Luke 
9  :  31  ;  Acts  9  :  3  ;  2  Cor.  3:18.  Vs.  10,  "to  all  the  people"  :  i.  e.,  of 
Israel ;  the  message  and  the  salvation  are  first  of  all  to  the  chosen  people. 
Cf.  on  Matt,  i  :2i.  Vs.  11,  "a  Savior":  Recall  the  message  of  the 
angel  to  Mary,  Luke  1:31,  and  to  Joseph,  Matt.  1:21.  "Which  is 
Christ  the  Lord":  see  Acts  2  :  36,  where  Peter  joins  the  same  two 
titles.  Precisely  this  phrase,  however,  occurs  nowhere  else  in  the  New 
Testament.  It  is  found  in  the  Jewish  psalm  quoted  in  ^28,  but 
is  thought  by  some  to  be  a  mistranslation  there  for  "  the  Lord's 
Anointed."  Vs.  12,  "and  this  shall  be  a  sign  to  you,"  /.  e.,  by  which 
you  may  know  that  my  message  is  true.  Vs.  14.  The  difference 
between  the  common  and  revised  versions  in  this  angelic  song  is 
due  to  a  difference  of  one  letter  in  the  Greek  manuscripts  followed  by 
the  two  versions.  The  revised  version  is  almost  certainly  correct. 
The  two  lines  are  parallel  in  form  ;  "glory"  corresponds  to  "peace," 
"to  God,"  to  "among  men,"  etc.;  "  in  the  highest,"  /.  e.,  in  heaven,  to 
"  on  earth."  For  the  words  "  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased  "  there  is  but 
one  word  in  Greek,  so  that  the  two  lines  are  nearly  equal  in  length.  The 
meaning  is  "  men  who  are  the  objects  of  God's  gracious  good  pleas- 
ure." Vs.  18,  "  And  all  that  heard  it  wondered":  how  widely  they 
told  the  story  is  not  said.  The  records  of  Jesus'  later  life  do  not 
indicate  that  the  testimony  of  the  angels  was  at  all  widely  remembered 
or  known  when  thirty  years  later  Jesus  appeared  as  a  public  teacher.  Vs. 
19,  "  But  Mary  kept  all  these  sayings,  pondering  them  in  her  heart": 
the  mother,  however,  did  not  forget  them,  but  kept  turning  them  over 
in  mind.     Here  again  Luke  tells  of  Mary  rather  than  Joseph. 

^27.  Bethlehem — Bethlehem  may  very  well  be  called  the  "City  of 
Children,"  for,  were  it  not  for  children,  and,  above  all,  the  Child,  it 
would  hardly  be  remembered.  The  modern  town,  which  still  is  known 
as  Bet  Lahem,  is  beautifully  situated,  about  five  miles  from  Jerusalem,  on 
the  side  and  summit  of  a  semi-circle   of  hills.     All  about  it  are  olive 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS 


33 


BETHLEHEM 


groves  and  vineyards,  pasture  lands  and  grain  fields.  It  is,  indeed,  as  its 
name  says,  a  "House  of  Food."  Today  it  has  about  eight  thousand 
inhabitants,  most  of  whom  are  Greek  Christians,  and  contains  several 
schools  for  boys  and  girls.  Its  most  celebrated  building  is,  of 
course,  the  noble  Church  of  the  Nativity  —  or,  more  properly,  of  St. 
Mary  —  built  over  the  cave  in  which  tradition  declares  Jesus  was  born* 

Henderson,  Palestine,  p.  149  ;  George  Adam  Smith,  Historical  Geography  of 
the  Holy  Land,  p.  318  ;  Baedeker,  Palestine  and  Syria,  p.  121  ;  Mathews,  "Bethle- 
hem, the  City  of  Children,"  in  Biblical  World,  Vol.  X,  p.  473. 

^28.  A  Messianic  Psalm  of  the  Pharisees. — With  the  words  of 
the  angel  in  Luke  i  :  31-33,  the  psalm  of  Mary  in  i  :  46-55,  the 
psalm  of  Zacharias,  i  :  68-79,  ^^^^  the  words  of  Simeon  and  Anna, 
Luke  2  :  28-38,  it  is  very  interesting  to  compare  those  of  a  Jewish 
hymn  written  perhaps  fifty  years  before  the  birth  of  John  and  of 
Jesus.  We  give  the  latter  portion  of  this  psalm  in  the  English  trans- 
lation of  Ryle  and  James  {Psalms  of  Solomon^  Ps.  XVII,  pp.  137-47). 

Behold,  O  Lord,  and  raise  up  unto  them  their  King,  the  son  of  David,  in  the  time 

which  thou,  O  God,  knowest,  that  he  may  reign  over  Israel,  thy  servant ; 

And  gird  him  with  strength,  that  he  may  break  in  pieces  them  that  rule  unjustly. 


34 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


Purge  Jerusalem  from  the  heathen  that  trample  her  down  to  destroy  her,  with 
wisdom  and  with  righteousness. 

He  shall  thrust  out  the  sinners  from  the  inheritance,  utterly  destroy  the  proud 
spirit  of  the  sinners,  and  as  potters'  vessels  with  a  rod  of  iron  shall  he 
break  in  pieces  all  their  substance. 

He  shall  destroy  the  ungodly  nations  with  the  word  of  his  mouth,  so  that  at 
his  rebuke  the  nations  may  flee  before  him,  and  he  shall  convict  the 
sinners  in  the  thoughts  of  their  hearts. 

And  he  shall  gather  together  a  holy  people  whom  he  shall  lead  in  righteous- 
ness ;  and  shall  judge  the  tribes  of  the  people  that  hath  been  sancti- 
fied by  the  Lord  his  God. 

And  he  shall  not  suffer  iniquity  to  lodge  in  their  midst ;  and  none  that  know- 
eth  wickedness  shall  dwell  with  them. 

For  he  shall  take  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  be  all  the  sons  of  their  God 
and  shall  divide  them  upon  the  earth  according  to  their  tribes. 

And  the  sojourner  and  the  stranger  shall  dwell  with  them  no  more. 

He  shall  judge  the  nations  and  the  peoples  with  the  wisdom  of  his  righteous 
ness.     Selah. 

And  he  shall  possess  the  nations  of  the  heathen  to  serve  him  beneath  his  yoke  i 
and  he  shall  glorify  the  Lord  in  a  place  to  be  seen  of  the  whole  earth. 

And  he  shall  purge  Jerusalem  and  make  it  holy,  even  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  old. 

So  that  the  nations  may  come  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  see  his  glory, 
bringing  as  gifts  her  sons  that  had  fainted, 

And  may  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  wherewith  God  hath  glorified  her. 

And  a  righteous  King  and  taught  of  God  is  he  that  reigneth  over  them. 

And  there  shall  be  no  iniquity  in  his  days  in  their  midst,  for  all  shall  be  holy 
and  their  King  is  the  Lord  Messiah. 

For  he  shall  not  put  his  trust  in  horse  and  rider  and  bow,  nor  shall  he  multi- 
ply unto  himself  gold  and  silver  for  war,  nor  by  ships  shall  he  gather 
confidence  for  the  day  of  battle. 

The  Lord  himself  is  his  King,  and  the  hope  of  him  that  is  strong  in  the  hope  of  God. 

And  he  shall  have  mercy  upon  all  the  nations  that  come  before  him  in  fear. 

For  he  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  word  of  his  mouth  even  for  evermore. 

He  shall  bless  the  people  of  the  Lord  with  wisdom  and  gladness. 

He  himself  also  is  pure  from  sin,  so  that  he  may  rule  a  mighty  people,  and 
rebuke  princes  and  overthrow  sinners  by  the  might  of  his  word. 

And  he  shall  not  faint  all  his  days,  because  he  leaneth  upon  his  God  ;  for 
God  shall  cause  him  to  be  mighty  through  the  spirit  of  holiness  and 
wise  through  the  counsel  of  understanding  with  might  and  righteousness. 

And  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  is  with  him  in  might,  and  his  hope  in  the  Lord 
shall  not  faint. 

And  who  can  stand  up  against  him  ?  he  is  mighty  in  his  works  and  strong 
in  the  fear  of  God, 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS  35 

Tending  the  flock  of  the   Lord  with  faith  and  righteousness,  and   he   shall 

suffer  none  among  them  to  faint  in  their  pasture. 
In  holiness  shall  he  lead  them  all,  and  there  shall   no  pride  be  among  them, 

that  any  should  be  oppressed. 
This  is  the  majesty  of  the  King  of  Israel,  which  God  hath  appointed  to  raise 

him  up  over  the  house  of  Israel,  to  instruct  him. 
His  words  shall  be  purified  above  fine  gold,  yea;  above  the  choicest  gold. 
In  the  congregations  will  he  judge  among  the  peoples,  the  tribes  of  them  that 

have  been  sanctified. 
His  words  shall  be  as  the  words  of  the  holy  ones  in  the  midst  of  the  peoples 

that  have  been  sanctified. 
Blessed  are  they  that  shall  be  born  in  those  days  to  behold  the  blessing  of 

Israel  which  God  shall  bring  to  pass  in  the  gathering  of  the  tribes. 
May  God  hasten  his  mercy  toward  Israel !   may  he  deliver  us  from  the  abomi- 
nation of  unhallowed  adversaries  ! 
The  Lord,  he  is  our  King  from  henceforth  and  even  for  evermore. 

^29.  Jewish  Family  Life. —  It  was  into  a  Jewish  home  of  the 
humbler  sort  that  Jesus  was  born.  Industry  must  have  excluded  bitter 
poverty,  but  the  home  of  Joseph,  the  village  carpenter,  was  not  one  of 
elegance  or  of  wealth.  It  was  none  the  less,  in  all  probability,  one  of 
the  happiest  of  the  homes  in  that  nation  which  presented  the  highest 
ideal  of  home  life  known  among  the  ancients,  an  ideal  scarcely  sur- 
passed in  any  age  of  the  world. 

Family  life  begins  with  marriage;  but  among  the  Jews  betrothal 
was  a  matter  of  as  much  seriousness  and  solemnity  as  marriage  itself. 
Even  the  property  of  the  bride  belonged  to  the  husband  from  the  time 
of  the  betrothal,  and  they  could  be  separated  only  by  divorce,  precisely 
as  after  marriage.  The  marriage  was  a  festal  occasion  and  included 
the  removal  of  the  bride  to  her  husband's  house. 

The  house  in  which  the  new  family  took  up  its  abode  would  depend 
on  the  wealth  of  the  husband,  but  among  the  humbler  classes  consisted 
of  one  or  two  square  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  with  a  roof  of  straw 
and  mud  laid  upon  timbers  or  boughs.  A  flight  of  steps  outside  the 
house  frequently  led  to  the  roof. 

The  furniture  was  of  the  simplest  kind.  Bedsteads  were  scarcely 
used  at  all  ;  couches  were  found  only  in  the  houses  of  the  wealthy. 
Sometimes  there  was  a  ledge  on  the  side  of  the  room,  and  on  this,  or  on 
mats  woven  of  palm  leaves  and  laid  upon  the  clay  floor,  the  family 
slept,  wrapped  in  their  cloaks. 

Pictures  and  statuary,  being   forbidden  by   the  law   (Exod.  20  : 4), 


36  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

would  not  be  seen  in  a  Jewish  house  at  all.  Books  were  rare  and 
confined  almost  wholly  to  copies  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  position  of  the  wife  and  mother  was  an  honorable  one.  In 
most  homes  there  would  be  but  one  wife,  though  polygamy  continued 
to  some  extent  even  down  to  and  after  New  Testament  times.  Per- 
haps the  saddest  blot  upon  the  family  customs  of  the  Jews  was  the 
laxity  of  their  divorce  customs,  which  permitted  the  husband  to  divorce 
his  wife  at  will.  Yet  even  in  this  there  was  a  tendency  toward  a 
stricter  practice  in  the  teachings  of  one  school  of  the  scribes ;  and  with 
this  tendency  the  teaching  of  Jesus  agreed,  though  striking  at  the  root 
of  the  matter  as  neither  school  had  done. 

The  love  of  children  was  always  singularly  strong  among  the  Jews, 
and  this  both  on  the  side  of  the  father  and  of  the  mother.  Law,  nar- 
rative, and  poetry  all  alike  bear  witness  to  this  fact.     See  Lev.  26  :  9  ; 

I  Sam.  i;  Ps.  127:3;  etc.  Destruction  of  children,  by  exposure  or 
otherwise,  so  terribly  common  among  the  Gentiles,  was  almost  or 
wholly  unknown  among  the  Jews.  As  among  the  ancients  and 
orientals  generally,  a  boy  was  more  highly  esteemed  than  a  girl,  yet  the 
depreciation  of  the  daughter  was  only  relative ;  both  sons  and 
daughters  were  desired  and  welcomed.  In  ancient  times  the  boy 
was  named  at  his  birth,  and,  sometimes  at  least,  by  his  mother  (Gen. 
29  :  32  and  chap.  30),  but  in  later  times  on  the  occasion  of  his  circum- 
cision (Luke  I  :  59  ;  2:21). 

The  law  enjoined  upon  the  parents  the  duty  of  instructing  their 
children  both  in  the  history  and  in  the  religion  of  their  nation  —  two 
things  which  were  to  the  Jew  almost  inseparable  (Deut.  4:9;  6  :  7,  20  ; 

II  :  19).  To  the  injunction  of  Deut.  6  :  6-9,  and  the  similar  words  in 
Exod.  13:9,  16;  Deut.  11  :  18,  he  gave  a  very  literal  interpretation, 
fastening  little  boxes  containing  pieces  of  parchment,  on  which  were 
written  the  words  of  Deut.  6  :  4-9,  and  11  :  13-21,  on  his  doorposts, 
and  binding  little  leather-boxes  containing  Exod.  13:2-10;  11-17  ; 
Deut.  6  :  4-9  ;  11:13-21  on  his  forehead  and  arms  when  he  prayed. 
Yet,  with  a  truer  appreciation  of  the  real  sense  of  the  injunction,  he 
took  great  pains  to  teach  his  children  the  law,  so  that,  as  Josephus 
says,  the  people  knew  the  statutes  of  the  law  better  than  their  own 
names. 

The  care  of  the  children  fell  in  most  cases  directly  upon  the  mother; 
nurses  and  other  servants  were  found  only  in  the  wealthier  families. 
Manual  labor  was  never  despised  by  a  true  Hebrew.     Even   the  boy 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF    JESUS  37 

who  was  destined  to  be  a  scribe  learned  a  trade.  It  was  no  reproach 
to  Jesus  that  he  was  a  carpenter. 

It  was  in  such  a  home,  humble,  pious,  and,  we  may  believe,  happy, 
that  Jesus  lived  with  his  brothers  and  sisters  during  the  thirty  years  of 
his  childhood  and  youth. 

^30.  The  Religious  Condition  of  Palestine  in  the  Time  of  Christ. — 
There  never  was  a  more  religious  people  than  the  Jews  in  the  time  of 
Christ.  Ever  since  the  return  of  a  few  thousand  decendants  of  those 
who  had  been  taken  captive  to  Babylon,  Jewish  religious  life  had  been 
growing  constantly  naore  intense.  Even  politics,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, were  largely  determined  by  it.  This  religious  development 
embraced  the  following  elements  : 

a)  The  ritual.  —  Devotion  to  this  feature  of  the  Jewish  religion 
naturally  centered  about  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  After  the  return 
from  the  exile  this  had  been  poor  in  its  equipment,  and  during  the 
Syrian  period  it  had  been  desecrated  and  injured.  Herod  the  Great, 
however,  had  thoroughly  rebuilt  it,  surroundin.e^  it  with  noble  colon- 
nades and  courts,  each  so  strongly  built  as  to  be  capable  of  long 
defense  in  case  of  a  siege.  The  temple  was  served  by  priests,  Levites, 
and  various  other  classes  of  professional  religious  men.  The  worship 
did  nQtconsist  in  preaching,  but  in  sacrifices,  prayers,  and  music. 
Every  year,  also,  there  were  a  number  of  great  feast  days,  on  which, 
just  as  on  our  Easter,  there  were  special  services.  The  purpose  of 
this  ritual  worship  was  not  so  much  to  instruct  the  worshipers  as  to 
aid  them  to  religious  aspirations  and  prayer,  and  so  sacred  was  it  that 
the  thousands  of  Jews  who  came  up  to  Jerusalem  every  year  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  to  attend  the  feasts  believed  devoutly  that  Jehovah 
could  be  worshiped  by  sacrifice  nowhere  else  than  in  the  temple. 
Every  Jew  was  expected  to  contribute  a  small  sum  each  year  for  the 
support  of  this  worship,  which  constantly  grew  more  elaborate.  In 
the  time  of  Jesus,  it  is  true,  ritualism  had  suffered  somewhat  from  the 
rapid  removal  and  appointment  of  high  priests  by  Herod  I.  and  later 
rulers,  and  there  was  some  indignation  that  the  priests  living  in  Jeru- 
salem had  organized  themselves  into  a  sort  of  monopoly  to  control 
the  immense  supply  of  animals  destined  for  the  altar.  But  the  tem- 
ple worship  still  had  control  over  the  faith  of  the  Jews,  and  even  the 
Essenes,  who  did  not  approve  of  bloody  sacrifices,  sent  gifts  to  the 
temple.  Jesus  himself  attended  the  feasts,  and  offered  the  paschal 
lamb. 


38  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

b)  Legalism. — By  this  is  meant  a  tendency  to  reduce  religion  to  a 
keeping  of  rules.  It  grew  out  of  the  great  effort  made  by  the  Jews 
after  the  Return  to  apply  the  laws  of  Moses  to  every  conceivable 
aspect  and  condition  of  life.  The  more  religious  Jews  were  so  con- 
vinced God  spoke  through  these  laws  that  they  could  not  believe 
righteousness  coiild  be  gained  except  by  obeying  them.  By  the 
beginning  of  the  first  century  before  Christ  there  were  seen  three 
groups,  or  societies,  who  differed  somewhat  distinctly  in  their  attitude 
toward  this  general  principle  and  its  application.  (i)  Two  of  these 
societies,  the  Pharisees  and  the  Essenes,  held  very  strongly  to  implicit 
obedience  to  the  law.  Each  society  numbered  from  four  to  six  thou- 
sand members.  They  both  resulted  from  the  development  through 
which  the  legalistic  spirit  had  passed  since  Ezra  established  the  study 
of  the  law  as  the  great  duty  of  religious  persons.  Yet  the  Pharisees 
and  Essenes  differed  among  themselves.  The  Pharisees,  for  instance, 
believed  that  men  should  observe,  not  merely  the  written  law  of  Moses, 
but  the  "oral  law"  as  well,  that  is,  the  ever-increasing  mass  of  minute 
decisions  made  by  the  rabbis,  or  professional  religious  teachers,  in 
their  applications  of  the  written  law  to  every  aspect  of  life.  They 
also  held  strenuously  to  a  belief  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and 
in  a  somewhat  limited  freedom  of  the  will.  But  most  of  all  did  they 
wish  the  Jews  as  a  nation  and  as  individuals  to  be  '*  separated  "  from 
everything  that  was  not  in  accord  with  the  Mosaic  and  the  oral  law. 
In  fact,  this  gave  them  their  name,  for  "Pharisee"  means  "separatist." 
In  politics  this  principle  made  them  [averse  to  foreign  alliances  and 
monarchy,  and  in  private  life  it  made  them  punctilious  about  ceremo- 
nial washings  and  intercourse  with  humble  persons  and  those  who 
were  thought  to  be  sinful.  The  Essenes  were,  in  some  ways,  even 
stricter  than  the  Pharisees.  They  did  not  believe  in  any  degree  of 
freedom  of  the  will,  and  were  so  devoted  to  the  principles  of  cere- 
monial purity  that  they  became  ascetic  and  communistic.  They  dis- 
approved of  marriage,  and,  in  order  to  avoid  any  danger  of  defilement, 
organized  themselves  into  monastic  communities,  living  in  cities  or 
the  country,  membership  in  which  was  difficult  to  gain.  Thus  they 
withdrew  from  society,  and  so  were  of  less  influence  than  the  Phari- 
sees, who  were  the  real  leaders  of  the  nation.  Through  them  the 
general  principle  of  legalism,  that  righteousness  can  be  gained  only 
by  complete  and  absolute  obedience  to  innumerable  laws  and  rules, 
came  to  be  generally  accepted,  and  thus,  practically,  the  entire  Jewish 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS  39 

nation  was  marked  by  an  excessive  conscientiousness  and  strictness. 
(2)  Over  against  the  Pharisees  and  the  Essenes  were  the  Sadducees. 
They  included  the  high  priest  and  many  priests,  and  so  were  in  sym- 
pathy with  ritualism  rather  than  legalism.  They  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  oral  law  of  the  Pharisees,  and  preferred  to  be  less 
scrupulous  and  to  live  by  the  law  of  Moses  itself.  They  were  also 
believers  in  the  complete  freedom  of  the  human  will,  but  disbelieved 
in  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  They  were  in  favor  of  greater  liberty 
in  life  and  of  foreign  alliances  in  politics.  In  a  word,  they  were  a 
political  rather  than  st  religious  party,  and  throughout  their  history 
were  opposed  to  the  entire  spirit  of  Pharisaism.  Yet  legalism  grew 
constantly,  and  when  Jerusalem  fell  it  was  ritualism  that  disappeared 
with  the  burning  temple,  while  the  study  of  the  law  continued  for 
centuries,  and  is  today  the  basis  of  orthodox  Judaism. 

In  the  time  of  Jesus  legalism  was  a  source  both  of  strength  and  of 
weakness.  On  one  hand  it  made  men  conscientious,  excessively  care- 
ful to  obey  God  in  every  act  of  life.  In  this  it  was  immeasurably 
superior  to  the  heathenism  of  its  day.  On  the  other  hand,  however,  it 
was  almost  certain  to  make  its  followers  self-righteous,  stern,  fault- 
finding, and  unloving.  This  was,  of  course,  not  true  of  all  Jews,  but 
it  was  a  danger  especially  threatening  the  Pharisees,  and  one  to  which 
too  many  of  them  yielded.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  easy  to  see  how 
the  necessity  of  knowing  so  many  hundred  rules  before  one  could  hope 
to  be  acceptable  to  God  must  have  kept  most  men  from  ever  expecting 
to  gain  righteousness.  This  led  to  two  great  evils  :  the  scribes  despised 
the  masses  who  did  not  know  these  rules;  and,  also,  finding  it 
impossible  for  even  themselves  to  keep  all  rules  literally,  they  invented 
a  great  number  of  excuses  for  evading  obedience.  It  was  these  two 
unworthy  but  inevitable  elements  of  legalism,  pride  and  hypocrisy,  that 
Jesus  so  severely  attacked.  It  was  to  be  his  great  office  to  show  men 
that  they  can  come  to  God  even  if  they  have  not  kept  all  the  law  and 
are  conscious  of  their  own  sinfulness. 

c)  The  Messianic  hope. —  This  very  important  element  in  Jewish 
religious  life  in  the  time  of  Christ  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  third  great 
element  in  the  older  Hebrew  life,  prophetism.  It  was  the  hope, 
especially  felt  by  the  Pharisees  and  their  followers,  that  God  would 
some  day  establish  his  all-powerful  kingdom  among  the  Jews,  and  that 
the  whole  world  would  be  subject  to  Jerusalem,  the  capital  of  the. 
Anointed  of  God,  the  Messiah.     Day  by  day  the  Jews  prayed  for  the 


40  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

coming  of  this  kingdom  and  its  King,  and  hoped  that  each  day  brought 
them  nearer.  But  the  description  of  this  hope  will  be  given  later,  ^f  50. 
^  31.  The  Date  of  the  Birth  of  Jesus. —  It  is  impossible  to  fix  this 
date  exactly  because  of  the  small  amount  of  information  at  our 
command,  but  it  lies  within  narrow  limits,  (i)  Jesus  must  have  been 
born  before  the  death  of  Herod  I.,  according  to  Matt.  2:  i  and  19; 
that  is,  before  March  or  April,  4  B.  C.  (2)  Just  how  long  before  cannot 
be  stated  with  precision,  but  certainly  not  more  than  two  or  three  years, 
for  he  was  "a  young  child"  on  his  return  from  Egypt  (Matt.  2:19, 
20),  and  the  age  of  the  children  Herod  ordered  killed  (Matt.  2:16) 
must  have  been  about  that  of  Jesus  at  the  time.  We  can  safely  say, 
therefore,  that  Jesus  was  born  6-4  B.  C.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed 
by  a  comparison  of  Luke  3  :  23  and  John  2  :  20,  where  the  "forty-six 
years"  bring  us  probably  to  27  A.  D.  If  about  a  year  previously,  when 
he  began  to  preach,  Jesus  was  about  thirty  years  old,  then  clearly  he 
must  have  been  born  about  4  or  5  B.  C.  But  unfortunately  we  do  not 
know  exactly  how  near  Jesus  was  to  thirty  years  of  age.  Again,  if 
we  knew  exactly  when  the  census  under  Quirinius  (or  Cyrenius)  was 
made,  we  should  know  when  Jesus  was  born  (Luke  2:1,  2),  but  the 
only  census  made  by  Quirinius  that  we  know  certainly  about  was  in 

A.  D.  6.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  Quirinius  was  legate  to  Syria 
twice.     If  so,  his  first  term  of  office  would  probably  have  been  about 

B.  C.  9,  since  there  is  a  break  in  the  list  of  legates  at  that  time. 
Recent  investigations  have  also  made  it  appear  likely  that  a  census  was 
taken  under  Herod  I.  at  about  that  date.  But  even  if  we  should  never 
know  the  precise  day  when  Jesus  was  born,  we  know  that  he  was  born, 
and  this  is  the  one  fact  in  which  we  are  really  interested. 


^  32.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.' — (i)  What  are 

the    most    marked    differences  in    the    two    genealogies?     (2) 

Describe  the  special  duty  of  Zacharias   in    the    temple.      (3)* 

Study  the  v^ords  of  the  angel  to   Mary  and   state  what  sort   of 

person   Mary's  son  was  to   be.      (4)   What  did  the  Jews  mean 

when  they  called  one  a  son  of  God?     (5)    Describe  Nazareth 

and  study  the    picture  to   get    the  town's   position   among  the 

hills.      (6)   What  seems  to  have  been  the  character  of  Joseph  ? 

^For  younger  classes,  questions  7,  8,  15,  16,  17,  21  may  be  omitted  if  thought 
best  by  the  teacher. 


BIRTH    OF  JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  AND    OF  JESUS  4 1 

(7)*  Study  the  Song  of  Mary  and  state  what  sort  of  person  Mary 
expected  her  son  to  be.  (8)*  Study  the  Song  of  Zacharias 
and  state  what  he  expected  God  would  do  for  the  Jews.  (9) 
Does  the  term  "son  of  David"  refer  to  ancestry  or  to  kingly 
office?  See  2  Sam.  7:14.  (lo)  Read  carefully  Luke  2:1-7 
and  state  the  reason  why  Joseph  and  Mary  went  to  Judea,  and 
determine  whether  or  not  they  were  poor,  (ii)  Read  Luke 
2:8-14  and  give  some  reasons  why  the  birth  of  Jesus  should 
have  been  a  cause  cf  .great  joy.  (12)  Did  the  people  later  seem 
to  have  known  about  the  angel's  visit  to  the  shepherds?  (13) 
Describe  Bethlehem  and  give  some  incident  connected  with  it, 
for  instance  the  story  of  Ruth.  See  also  I  Sam.  16:4-13; 
17:12-15;  2  Sam.  23  :  14-24.  (14)*  Describe  the  sort  of  home 
in  which  Jesus  grew  up.  (15)  What  is  meant  by  ritualism 
among  the  Jews?  (16)  What  by  legalism?  (17)  What  parties 
were  especially  favorable  to  each?  (18)  What  should  you  say 
was  mostly  wanting  in  the  religion  of  the  Jews  in  the  time  of 
Christ?  (19)  Was  the  religious  life  of  the  Jews  higher  than 
that  of  the  Gentiles  about  them?  (20)  When  was  Jesus  born? 
(21)  How  do  you  fix  the  approximate  date? 

^33.  Constructive  Work. —  Let  the  pupil  write  a  chapter  for  his 
"Life  of  Christ"  on  some  such  plan  as  this: 

CHAPTER   II. 
THE    BIRTH    OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST     AND    OF   JESUS. 

1.  The  Story  of  the  birth  of  John  the  Baptist. 

2.  The  story  of  the  birth  of  Jesus. 

3.  The  Messiah  expected  by  the  people  mentioned  in  these  stories. 
^34.    Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  genealogies. 

Articles  in  the  Bible  Dictionaries,  especially  those  of  Smith  and  Hastings; 
Andrews,  Life  of  Our  Lord,  pp.  62-8. 

2.  The  Messianic  hope  as  portrayed  in  the  late  Jewish  psalm. 

See  ^  27.  Brief  quotations  from  other  late  Jewish  literature  are  given  by  Mathews, 
"The  Jewish  Messianic  Expectation  in  the  Time  of  Jesus,"  in  Biblical  World,  Vol. 
XII,  pp.  437  ff.;  in  the  same  volume,  Goodspeed,  "Israel's  Messianic  Hope,"  pp. 
400  ff.,  and  "Some  Books  on  Messianic  Prophecy,"  pp.  444  ff. 


42  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH  OF  JESUS. 

§  II.  The  circumcision. 

Luke  2  :  21. 
§  12.  The  presentation  in  the  temple. 

Luke  2  :  22-39. 
§  13.  The  Wise  Men  from  the  East. 

Matt.  2  : 1-12. 
§  14.  The  flight  into  Egypt  and  return  to  Nazareth. 

Matt.  2  :  13-23. 
§  15.  Childhood  at  Nazareth. 

[Matt.  2  :23.]  Luke  2  :  [39]  40. 

§  16,  Visit  to  Jerusalem  when  twelve  years  old. 

Luke  2 :  41-50. 
§  17.  Eighteen  years  at  Nazareth. 

Luke  2:51,  52. 

^35.  Notes  on  §11,  Luke  2  :2i. — "When  eight  days  were  fulfilled"  : 
cf.  on  1:59.  Here  as  there  the  naming  of  the  child  is  associated  with  the 
circumcision.     "  His  name  was  called  Jesus  "  :  cf.  Luke  1:31;  Matt.  1:21. 

^36.  Notes  on  §12,  Luke  2:22-39. — ^s.  22,  "the  days  of  their 
purification":  the  forty  days  which  according  to  the  law  must  elapse 
between  the  birth  of  the  child  and  the  ceremonial  purification  of  the 
mother  and  child  ;  see  Lev.,  chap.  12.  Vs.  23  ;  see  Exod.  13:2.  Vs.  24, 
"a  pair  of  turtle  doves,"  etc. :  the  offering  prescribed  for  a  mother 
"whose  means  suffice  not  for  a  lamb"  (Lev.  12:8).  Vs.  25,  "looking 
for  the  consolation  of  Israel "  :  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah 
who  should  deliver  and  so  comfort  Israel.  Cf.  ^2S  and  ^  30  {c).  Vs. 
27,  "the  parents":  as  usual  in  this  narrative,  Joseph  is  spoken 
of  as  the  father  of  Jesus  {cf  vss.  33,  41,  48),  as  he  evidently  was  in 
common  esteem,  and  in  fact  legally  also.  Vss.  29-32,  often  called  the 
'''Nunc  dimittis"  from  the  first  words  of  the  Latin  translation,  con- 
stitute the  third  of  these  New  Testament  psalms  found  in  Luke's 
narrative.  Vs.  29,  "Now  lettest":  not  a  prayer,  "now  let,"  but  an 
expression  of  joyful  certainty.  Vs.  32,  "A  light  for  revelation  to  the 
Gentiles  "  :  expressive  of  a  broader  hope  than  appears  in  the  other  psalms, 
but  one  which  the  Old  Testament  prophets  also  had  cherished.  See 
Isa.  42  :  6,  7,  and  49  : 6.  Vs.  34,  "Behold  this  child  is  set,"  etc.:  these 
two  verses  set  forth  a  side  of  the  Messiah's  work  of  which  there  is  no 
mention  in  the  psalms  of  Mary  and  Zacharias.  Perhaps  Simeon,  with 
a  deeper  spiritual  insight  into  the  conditions  of  the  times,  saw  more 


CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH    OF  JESUS  43 

clearly  the  suffering  which  the  salvation  of  Israel  would  involve ;  per- 
haps the  latter  chapters  of  Isaiah  —  and  this  is  suggested  by  vs.  32  — 
had  impressed  him  with  the  necessity  of  suffering  in  connection  with 
salvation,  so  clearly  set  forth  especially  in  Isa.,  chap.  53.  Vs.  36, 
''Anna,  a  prophetess":  /.  e.,  one  that  spoke  for  God,  under  the  influ 
ence  of  his  Spirit;  prophecy,  then,  had  not  altogether  died  out  in 
Israel,  and  John  the  Baptist  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  the  first  prophet 
of  the  new  era.  Vs.  38,  "the  redemption  of  Jerusalem":  notice  how 
constantly  this  narrative  describes  the  hope  of  these  saints  as  the  hope, 
patriotic  at  the  same  iime  that  it  was  religious,  of  the  deliverance 
o"^  Israel  from  its  enemies.  The  actual  coming  of  Christ  and  his 
work  gradually  but  greatly  enlarged  and  changed  this  conception. 
Cf.\tx. 

^  37.  Notes  on  §13,  Matt.  2  : 1-12. — Vs.  i,  "Bethlehem  of  Judea": 
there  was  also  a  Bethlehem  in  Galilee.  See  1[  27.  "  Herod  the  king"  : 
Herod  the  Great;  cf.\^.  "Wise  men":  better,  perhaps,  magi;  the 
word  denotes  men  of  the  learned  class,  teachers,  astrologers,  physicians, 
etc.,  among  the  Babylonians  and  other  eastern  nations.  Vs.  2,  "For 
we  saw  his  star."  Astronomers  have  called  attention  to  certain  extra- 
ordinary phenomena  appearing  in  the  heavens  about  this  time.  But 
the  attempts  to  connect  them  with  the  star  which  the  magi  saw  have 
never  been  wholly  successful.  Vs.  3,  "he  was  troubled":  doubtless 
over  the  thought  of  a  possible  heir  to  his  throne,  on  which  he  had  no 
real  claim  but  that  of  force.  Vs.  4,  "inquired  of  them  where  the 
Christ  should  be  born"  :  /.  <?.,  what  (according  to  prophecy)  is  the  birth- 
place of  the  Christ.  The  question  implies  nothing  as  to  whether  the 
Christ  had  or  had  not  yet  been  born.     Vs.  9 ;  cf.  note  on  vs.  2. 

^  38.  Notes  on  §  14,  Matt.  2  :  13-23. — Vs.  13,  "to  Joseph "  :  here,  as 
before  in  Matthew,  we  have  the  experiences  of  Joseph.  "  In  a  dream  ; " 
cf.  Matt.  1:20;  2:19,  22.  "Flee  into  Egypt":  There  were  many 
Jews  in  Egypt  at  this  time.  Vss.  15,  17  ;  cf.  notes  on  Matt,  i  :  22,  ^22. 
Vs.  22,  "  Archelaus  was  reigning  over  Judea,"  etc.  Of  the  three  sons  of 
Herod,  among  whom  his  kingdom  was  divided  {cf.  ^  6),  Archelaus  was 
the  most  like  his  father  in  cruelty.  When  he  had  been  in  power  ten 
years  he  was  removed  by  Rome  on  complaint  of  his  subjects.  The 
narrative  makes  no  mention  of  these  facts,  but  assumes  that  the  charac- 
ter of  Archelaus  was  known.  "  Withdrew  into  the  parts  of  Galilee  "  : 
thus  coming  into  the  jurisdiction  of  Antipas,  who,  though  by  no  means 
a  model  ruler,  was  less  cruel  than  Archelaus.     Vs.  23,  "and  came  and 


44  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

dwelt  in  a  city  called  Nazareth;"  cf.  Luke  2:39.  ^oth  evangelists 
agree  in  the  fact  that  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  and  that  the  family 
subsequently  went  to  Nazareth  to  live.  From  Matthew  alone  we  should 
know  nothing  of  a  previous  residence  of  the  parents  in  Nazareth,  and 
should  get  the  impression  that  the  parents  regarded  Bethlehem  as  their 
home,  the  removal  to  Nazareth  being  purely  an  afterthought,  necessi- 
tated by  Herod's  cruelty  and  the  character  of  Archelaus.  From  Luke 
alone  we  should  know  nothing  of  a  journey  to  Egypt  or  an  intention 
to  live  at  Bethlehem,  and  should  get  the  impression  that  the  return  to 
their  Galilean  home  was  a  matter  of  course  when  the  temporary  occa- 
sion for  residence  in  Bethlehem  was  past.  These  differences  indicate 
that  neither  of  the  two  evangelists  possessed  the  story  of  the  infancy 
which  the  other  records,  and  that  probably  neither  knew  the  facts 
recorded  only  by  the  other.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  there 
are  in  these  two  infancy  histories  no  parallel  accounts,  such  as  are  so 
common  in  the  other  parts  of  the  gospels,  and  makes  it  evident  that 
we  have  before  us  in  these  narratives  two  quite  independent  witnesses, 
whose  testimony  on  the  important  points  in  which  they  agree  is  there- 
fore independent  and  mutually  confirmatory. 

^  39.  Matthew's  Quotations  from  the  Old  Testament.  —  Of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment passages  of  which  the  first  evangelist  finds  fulfilments  in  the  life  of 
Jesus,  five  are  found  in  the  narrative  of  the  infancy,  viz.,  i  :  23  ;  2:6  (this 
is,  in  effect,  Matthew's,  even  if  he  reports  the  scribes  as  citing  it);  2:  15,  18, 
23.  Like  the  prologue  of  John's  gospel,  these  quotations  belong  not  strictly 
to  the  narrative  of  Jesus'  life,  but  to  the  evangelist's  interpretation  of  the 
events.  They  show  most  instructively  how  the  early  Christians  looked  upon 
the  Old  Testament,  believing  that  it  was  of  divine  authority  ;  that  it  predicted 
a  Messiah  to  come,  and  that  its  prophecies  were  fulfilled  in  the  life  of  Jesus. 
If  some  of  these  quotations  show  a  method  of  interpreting  the  Old  Testament 
different  from  that  generally  adopted  now,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
Matthew's  method  of  presenting  these  passages  was  adapted  to  the  minds  of 
his  readers,  and  that  his  fundamental  thought,  Jesus  the  fulfilment  of  Old  Tes- 
tament prophecy,  is  itself  amply  substantiated  by  all  sober  study  of  the 
Scripture. 

^40.  Notes  on  §  15,  Luke  2:40. —  This  single  verse  is  of  the  highest 
importance  for  the  light  it  throws  on  Jesus'  development  and  educa- 
tion. It  presents  us  the  picture  of  a  normal  child,  growing  physically 
and  spiritually.  The  words  ''filled  with  wisdom"  mean  more  exactly, 
"becoming  filled  with  wisdom,"  and  describe  a  continuous  process  of 


CHILDHOOD   AND   YOUTH   OF  JESUS  4$ 

acquiring  wisdom.  "And  the  grace  of  God":  the  favor  of  God,  his 
approving  love.  The  picture  here  presented  to  us  of  a  perfect  child- 
hood is  one  most  profitable  and  helpful  to  reflect  upon. 

^41.  Education  among  the  Jews  in  the  Time  of  Jesus. — The  Jews 
shared  in  the  respect  shown  education  throughout  the  Roman  empire, 
but  the  subjects  of  instruction  among  them  were  chiefly  the  law 
and  its  application.  The  Jewish  school  was  thus,  like  the  syna- 
gogue, an  outgrowth  and  a  support  of  the  legalistic  side  of  the  Jewish 
religion.  But  education  in  the  law  was  older  than  the  schools,  for 
long  before  they  were  established  fathers  were  expected  to  train  their 
sons,  and  mothers  their  daughters.  This  custom  continued  after  there 
was  public  instruction.  As  soon  as  they  could  talk,  children  were 
made  to  commit  certain  verses  of  Scripture,  and  as  they  grew  older 
(the  boys,  at  least)  to  write  them  out.  When  six  years  of  age,  boys 
were  sent  to  a  school,  in  most  cases  attached  to  the  synagogue  of  the 
town.  Compulsory  attendance  upon  schools,  according  to  the  Talmud, 
dates  from  the  famous  rabbi,  Simon  ben  Shetach,  the  brother  of  Queen 
Alexandra,  that  is,  from  about  75  B.  C,  but,  from  a  number  of  reasons, 
public  schools  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  been  universal  in  Palestine 
until  just  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  Jesus  as  a  child,  therefore, 
probably,  though  by  no  means  certainly,  attended  the  village  school 
of  Nazareth.  There  were  institutions  for  higher  learning  correspond- 
ing somewhat  to  our  theological  and  law  schools,  in  Jerusalem,  but 
these  he  never  attended  (John  7  :  15). 

•^42.  Notes  on  §  16,  Luke  2  :  41-50. — Vs.  41,  "And  his  parents;"  cf. 
note  on  Luke  2:  27,  ^36.  "Went  every  year,"  etc.:  The  law  of  the  Old 
Testament  required  every  male  to  attend  three  feasts  a  year  in  Jerusa- 
lem, viz.,  Passover,  Pentecost,  and  Tabernacles  (Exod.  23  :  14-17  ;  34  :  23  ; 
Deut.  16  :  16).  In  later  times  the  rule  seems  to  have  been  restricted 
to  those  who  lived  within  fifteen  miles  of  Jerusalem  (Edersheim, 
Temple,  p.  183).  Yet,  in  fact,  it  was  the  custom  to  go  from  all  parts 
of  the  land,  and  for  women  as  well  as  men.  Even  from  foreign  lands 
many  came.  Hillel  taught  that  women  ought  to  go  once  a  year,  viz., 
to  the  Passover.  Vs.  42,  "And  when  he  was  twelve  years  old."  This 
may  not  have  been  his  first  visit,  but  it  was  a  noteworthy  one,  because 
at  about  this  age  the  Jewish  boy  became  "a  son  of  the  law,"  /.  e., 
subject  to  its  requirements.  Vs.  43,  "And  when  they  had  fulfilled  the 
days"  :  the  seven  days  of  the  feast.  Vs.  44,  "supposing  him  to  be  in 
the  company"  :  the  caravan  composed  of  those  who  came  from  Nazareth, 


46  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

or  from  Nazareth  and  its  vicinity,  was  evidently  a  large  one.  "They 
went  a  day's  journey":  not  necessarily  a  whole  day,  but  till  evening  of 
the  day  on  which  they  started.  Vs.  46,  "After  three  days,"  or,  as  we 
should  say,  "on  the  third  day,"  counting  the  day  of  starting  as  one, 
the  day  of  the  return  a  second,  and  the  day  on  which  they  found  him 
a  third.  "In  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors." 
"As  a  learner,  not  as  a  teacher.  St.  Paul  sat  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel  ; 
Acts  22  13"  (Plummer).  Where  in  the  temple  the  rabbis  ("doctors") 
were  teaching  we  have  no  certain  means  of  knowing.  "  Both  hearing 
them  and  asking  them  questions":  in  accordance  with  the  usual  rela- 
tion between  pupil  and  teacher,  which  permitted  great  freedom.  Vs. 
47,  "And  all  that  heard  him  were  amazed  at  his  understanding,"  etc. 
The  teachings  of  Jesus  in  subsequent  years  show  wonderful  under- 
standing of  the  Old  Testament,  and  profound  insight  into  all  questions 
of  religion  and  morals ;  something  of  these  qualities  was  already 
manifest  in  the  boy  of  twelve  years. 

Vs.  49,  "  How  is  it  that  ye  sought  me  ?  Wist  ye  not  that  I  must 
be  in  my  Father's  house  ?"  These  are  the  first  words  of  Jesus  which 
the  gospels  record.  They  imply  three  things  that  are  most  significant : 
(i)  Left  alone  in  the  city,  the  place  to  which  he  turned  spontaneously 
was  the  temple ;  so  natural  was  it  for  him  to  do  this  that  it  did  not  occur 
to  him  that  his  parents  would  look  for  him  anywhere  else.  (2)  That 
which  drew  him  to  the  temple  was  the  fact  that  it  was  God's  house ; 
that  with  it  more  than  with  any  other  spot  in  the  city  was  associated 
for  him  the  thought  of  God.  (3)  The  name  for  God  which  sprang 
naturally  to  his  lips  was  "my  Father ;"  his  feeling  toward  God  was 
that  of  a  loving  son  to  a  father,  of  whose  love  he  was  sure.  Few,  if 
any,  of  the  Jews,  even  among  the  prophets,  had  thought  of  God  as  the 
Father  of  individuals.  To  them  he  was  the  Father  of  the  nation.  In 
these  words  of  Jesus  we  may  find  the  keynote  of  his  whole  life  on  the 
side  of  his  relationship  to  God. 

^43.  Notes  on  §17,  Luke  2  :5i,  52. — Vs.  51,  "And  he  was  subject 
to  them."  These  words  reveal  another  side  of  Jesus'  character  as  a 
boy.  Though  he  could  not  have  failed  to  see  that  his  parents  in 
some  things  had  less  spiritual  insight,  were  less  devout  and  religious, 
than  he  himself,  he  maintained  the  position  of  a  child  subject  to  their 
authority.  Cf.  Gal.  4:4.  Vs.  52,  "And  Jesus  advanced  in  wisdom  and 
stature  and  in  favor  with  God  and  men":  a  most  important  statement, 
which,  along  with  vs.  40,  shows  how  real  and  normal  a  human  life  Jesus 


CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH    OF  JESUS  47 

lived.  He  grew  physically,  intellectually,  and  spiritually,  not  out  of 
sin,  but  in  goodness.  Few  single  verses  of  the  gospel  narrative  better 
repay  meditation  than  this  one. 


^44.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  How  long 
after  his  birth  was  Jesus  circumcised  and  named  ?  (2)  How  long 
after  his  birth  and  where  did  the  ceremony  of  purification  take 
place?  (3)  What  offering  did  the  mother  bring  at  this  time? 
(4)  Tell  the  story  of  Simeon,  (5)  and  of  Anna.  (6)*  What  two 
thoughts  respecting  the  career  of  Jesus  did  Simeon  emphasize 
that  do  not  appear  in  the  previous  words  of  Zacharias  and  Mary  ? 

(7)  Tell  the  story  of  the  magi.  (8)  Who  were  the  magi? 
(9)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  Herod's  question  to  the  priests 
and  scribes  (Matt.  2:4)? 

(10)  Tell  the  story  of  the  flight  into  Egypt  and  return  to 
Nazareth.  (11)*  What  characteristics  of  Herod,  Archelaus,  and 
Antipas  are  reflected  in  this  narrative?  (12)*  In  what  respects 
does  Luke's  narrative  differ  from  Matthew's  in  its  account  of  the 
way  in  which  the  parents  of  Jesus  came  to  take  up  their  residence 
in  Nazareth  ?  (13)  Is  it  probable  that  each  was  acquainted  with 
the  other's  narrative?     (14)*  Describe  the  location  of  Nazareth. 

(15)*  In  what  single  statement  does  the  evangelist  describe 
the  boyhood  of  Jesus  down  to  the  time  when  he  was  twelve  years 
old? 

(16)  Tell  the  story  of  Jesus'  visit  to  Jerusalem  when  he  was 
twelve  years  old.  (17)*  What  are  the  earliest  recorded  words 
of  Jesus  ?  (18)*  What  do  the  words  mean,  and  what  do  they 
imply  as  respects  his  own  religious  life  at  this  time?  (19)  How 
far  is  the  spirit  and  attitude  toward  God  which  is  expressed  in 
these  words  a  model  for  us  all  ? 

(20)  In  what  words  does  the  evangelist  describe  the  years  of 
Jesus'  youth  (Luke  2:51,  52)?  (21)*  What  do  these  words 
imply  as  to  the  character  of  his  whole  life  during  this  period  ? 
(22)  Take  time  for  quiet  reflection  on  the  account  which 
§§  15-17  give  of  Jesus'  life  within  and  without  during  the  years 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 


48  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(23)  What  name  can  be  properly  given  to  the  period  of 
Jesus'  life  thus  far  studied  ?  See  title  of  Part  I.  (24)  Name  the 
events  that  fall  in  this  period.  See  titles  of  §§  in  chaps.  I,  II, 
III.  (25)  Name  these  events,  pointing  out  on  the  map  the 
place  at  which  each  occurred?  (26)  Name  in  their  order  those 
which  are  recorded  in  Matthew.  (27)  Name  in  their  order  those 
that  are  recorded  in  Luke. 

^45.  Constructive  Work.  —  Let  the  student  write  a  chapter  for  his 
Life  of  Christ  on  some  such  plan  as  follows : 

CHAPTER    III. 
THE    CHILDHOOD    AND    YOUTH    OF    JESUS. 

1.  The  circumcision  and  presentation  of  Jesus  in  the  temple. 

2.  The  wise  men  from  the  East. 

3.  The  flight  into  Egypt  and  the  return  to  Nazareth. 

4.  The  boyhood  and  youth  of  Jesus. 

5.  The  intellectual  and  religious  character  of  Jesus  in  the  years 
preceding  his  public  ministry. 

^46.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Matthew's  narrative  of  the  infancy  and  youth  compared  with 
Luke's :  {a)  as  respects  the  events  recorded ;  {d)  as  respects  the  person 
from  whose  point  of  view  the  story  is  told;  {c)  as  respects  the  style 
and  purpose.     Note  under  each  both  resemblances  and  differences. 

2.  Trades  and  the  standing  of  artisans  among  the  Jews. 
Delitzsch,/^ww>^  Artisan  Life. 

3.  The  Brothers  of  Jesus. 

LiGHTFOOT,  Galatians,  pp.  252-91 ;  Mayor,  Epistle  of  St.  James,  pp.  v-xxxvi ; 
Bible  Dictionaries,  arts.  "James,"  "Judas,"  "Brother." 

4.  The  influences  among  which  Jesus  grew  up,  and  his  own  inner 
experiences  :  {a)  home,  {h)  school,  {c)  synagogue,  {d)  Scripture,  {e)  com- 
panions, (/)  manual  labor,  (^)  scenery  and  nature,  {Ji)  the  moral  con- 
dition and  Messianic  hopes  of  the  people,  (/)  communion  with  God, 
(/)  thought  about  God  and  feeling  toward  him,  {]z)  thought  about  his 
future  work. 


Part  IL 


THE  OPENING  EVENTS  OF  CHRIST'S  MINISTRY. 

FROM  THE  COMING  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  UNTIL  THE  PUBLIC 
APPEARANCE  OF  JESUS  IN  JERUSALEM. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HERALD     OF    THE     NEW     ERA.       THE     MINISTRY    OF    JOHN     THE     BAPTIST. 

§i8.  The  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Matt  3  : 1-I2.        Mark  i :  i-8.        Luke  3  :  i-i8  [19,  20]. 

^47.  Notes  on  §18,  Mark  1:1-8.' — Vs.  i,  "The  beginning  of  the 
gospel"  :  By  "the  gospel"  Mark  doubtless  means  not  the  book  —  the 
word  "  gospel "  was  not  used  of  a  book  till  long  after  our  "  gospels  "  were 
written — but  the  history  that  is  told  in  the  book,  the  facts  about  Jesus 
that,  when  told,  constitute  good  news.  In  his  mind  the  "gospel" 
story  began  with  the  public  work  of  John  the  Baptist  and  the  entrance 
of  Jesus  on  his  ministry.  Cf.  Peter's  thought  as  expressed  in  Acts 
1:22.  The  later  evangelists  Matthew  and  Luke  included  and  pre- 
fixed the  story  of  the  infancy.  "  Of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  "  :  So 
in  his  first  line  the  evangelist  declares  his  own  conception  of  Jesus  and 
faith  in  him.  Cf.  the  first  line  of  Matt.  Vs.  2,  "Even  as  it  is  written" : 
Mark's  only  quotation  from  the  Old  Testament.  "In  Isaiah  the 
prophet":  The  remainder  of  the  verse  is  in  reality  from  Mai.  3:1; 
the  next  verse  is  from  Isa.  40  : 3.  Mark  combines  the  two  quotations 
which  so  aptly  describe  the  mission  of  John,  mentioning  the  name, 
however,  of  the  second  prophet  only.  Turn  back  and  read  Malachi 
especially  chaps.  3  and  4.     It  will  help  in  the  understanding  of  John's 

^  Here  for  the  first  time  we  find  a  threefold  narrative,  one  account  in  each  of  the 
synoptic  gospels.  In  such  cases  the  student  should  aim,  not  simply  to  get  a  composite 
picture  of  .all  three  narratives,  but  first,  studying  one  carefully  —  it  is  best  to  begin 
with  Mark,  where  there  is  a  Mark  account  —  to  fix  in  mind  the  facts  as  recorded  in 
this  account ;  then,  taking  up  each  of  the  others,  to  consider  wherein  each  differs  from 
the  first ;  and  finally  to  frame,  on  the  basis  of  all  the  sources,  as  connected  an  account 
as  possible  of  the  event. 

49 


50 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


character  and  preaching.  Vs.  4,  ''John  came,"  etc.:  Notice  in  this 
brief  verse  the  place  of  John's  work,  the  two  related  parts  of  his 
work,  the  substance  of  his_message,  the  significance  of  his  baptism. 
"Repentance":  not  mere  sorrow,  but  change  of  mind,  especially  of 
moral  purpose,  turning  one's  back  on  the  former  sinful  life  and  turning 
to  God.  "Remission  of  sins":  forgiveness  of  sins,  including  escape 
from  the  punishment  which  would  otherwise  have  come,  and  restora- 
tion to  God's  favor.  Vs.  6,  "camel's  hair":  a  coarse  cloth  made  of 
the  long,  coarse  hair  of  the  camel,  used  also  for  tents ;  still  in  use  in 
eastern  countries.  "Leathern  girdle":  cf.  2  Kings  i  :8.  "Locusts": 
an  insect  of  the  same  family  as  the  grasshopper.  "Wild  honey": 
probably  the  honey  of  the  wild  bee  {cf.  i  Sam.  14:25,  26;  Judg. 
14:8),  but  possibly  a  sweet  gum.  All  these  particulars  describe  a 
poor  man  living  apart  from  other  men,  having  no  need  to  visit  the 
towns  for  either  food  or  clothing.  Cf.  Luke  1:80.  Vs.  7,  "There 
Cometh  after  me":  John  does  not  yet  say  who  this  is,  or  that  it  is 
the  Messiah ;  he  describes  him  rather  than  names  him.  Notice  care- 
fullv  this  description.  "Latchet  of  whose  shoes":  better,  "thong  of 
whose  sandals."  Vs.  8,  "water"  —  "Holy  Spirit":  the  one  baptism 
touching  the  body  and  outwardly  symbolizing  something,  the  other 
reaching  the  spirit  and  accomplishing  a  real  result. 

^48.  Notes  on  §18,  Matt.  3:1-12. — Vs.  i,  "wilderness  of  Judea": 
the  rough,  mountainous,  and  uninhabited  or  sparsely  settled  region 
lying  west  of  the  Dead  Sea  (Judg.  1:16;  Josh.  15  : 61,  72),  an^  probably 
including  also  so  much  of  the  uninhabited  region  lying  north  of  the 
sea,  in  the  Jordan  valley,  as  fell  within  Judea.  See  note  in  Biblical 
World,  January,  1898,  p.  38,  and  art.  "Judaea,  Wilderness  of,"  in 
Hastings,  Diet.  Bib.  Vs.  2,  "Repent  ye":  cf.  Mark  1:4  "For 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand":  This  definite  reference  to  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  by  John  is  mentioned  here  only  {cf.  Mark  1:15; 
Matt.  3:17),  but  all  the  records  show  clearly  that  he  announced 
the  near  approach  of  a  new  era  in  God's  dealings  with  the  nation. 
Vss.  3-6;  cf.  Mark  1:2-6.  Vs.  7,  "Pharisees  and  Sadducees":  see 
^  30,  b.  It  is  not  probable  that  members  of  these  two  opposed  parties 
came  to  John  together,  nor  does  Matthew  imply  this.  The  words  that 
follow  doubtless  represent  what  he  said  to  members  of  both  parties  on 
various  occasions.  "Offspring  of  vipers":  /.  ^.,  men  of  snakelike 
characters,  wicked  and  deceitful.  "The  wrath  to  come":  the  wrath 
upon  sinners  which  would  precede  or  accompany  the  deliverance  of  the 
righteous.     Cf.  Mai.  3:1-5;  4  : 1-6,  and  \^  28  and  50.     Vs.  8,  "fruits 


MINISTRY    OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST 


SI 


SHEPHERDS  FORDING  THE  JORDAN 


worthy  of  repentance":  cf.  Luke  3:  10-14  and  notes.  Vs.  9,  "think 
not  to  say  within  yourselves,  We  have  Abraham,"  etc. :  John  evidently 
doubted  the  reality  of  their  repentance  ;  he  knew  the  common  expecta- 
tion that  all  the  sons  of  Abraham  would  have  part  in  the  kingdom  of 
God  {cf.  ^[50),  and  wished  to  dislodge  them  from  this  refuge;  see 
John  8:31-40.  "God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children  to 
Abraham":  Notice  how  completely  John  rejects  this  current  notion  of 
a  kingdom  of  Abraham's  descendants  ;  cf.  Luke  i  :  73,  74.  John 
believes  that  God  will  fulfil  his  promise  to  Abraham,  but  that  he  is  not 
dependent  upon  these  people,  being  able  to  provide  himself  a  seed  of 
Abraham.  Vs.  10,  "Even  now  is  the  axe  laid":  better,  the  axe  is  lying, 
/.  <?.,  judgment  is  near  at  hand.  "Is  hewn  down":  /.  e.,  will  be ;  only 
the  fruits  of  repentance  can  save  it.  Vs.  11,  "  unto  repentance":  either 
to  express  repentance  {cf.  on  Mark  i  :  4),  or  in  order,  by  its  whole 
effect  on  the  minds  of  the  people,  to  lead  them  to  repentance,  espe- 
cially by  calling  them  to  repentance  and  giving  them  a  definite  act  in 
which  to  express  their  decision.  "He  shall  baptize  you":  words 
addressed  to  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  or  to  the  whole  people. 
"With  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire":  better,  with  Holy  Spirit  and 


52 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


fire,  the  reference  being  to  a  subjection  of  the  people  to  the  searching 
and  testing  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  Mightier  One,  by  which 
the  real  characters  of  men  should  be  discovered,  as  John  himself,  with 
his  baptism  of  water  touching  only  their  bodies,  could  never  discover 
or  disclose  them.      Cf.  Mai.  3  :  2-5,  from  which  John's  figure  of  speech 
is  probably  derived.     John  was  a  man  of  great  insight  into  character, 
but  he  recognized  that  he  could  not  try  men's  hearts  as  the  Greater  One 
who    was    to    follow    would 
search  and  test  them.     No- 
tice the  sharp  contrast  which 
he  draws    between   his  own 
work  and  that  of  the  Mightier 
One  to  come.     The  one  bap- 
tism is  outward  and  symbolic; 
the  other  inward  and  effec- 
tual.    The  baptism  of  John, 
though    intended    to    bring 
about  repentance,  could  not 
in  fact  produce  it,  nor  could 
it    distinguish    between   the 
truly  repentant  and  the  only 
professedly   so.     It  was  the 
revelation    of   God   through 
the    Mightier    One    which 
should  try  their  hearts  and 
reveal  their  true  characters. 
This  actually  took  place,  as 
we  know,  when  Jesus  came, 
and    men  took  sides  for  or 
against  him.    Vs.  12,  "Whose 
fan":  a  winnowing  shovel,  with  which  the  mingled  grain  and  chaff, 
after  being  threshed,  were  thrown  into  the  air,  that  the  steady  west 
wind  might  blow  away  the  chaff,  leaving  the  grain  behind.     "  He  will 
thoroughly  cleanse    his  threshing-floor":  /.  e.,  complete  the  work  of 
separating    grain    and    chaff.       "Unquenchable    fire":    a    figure    for 
inevitable  and  irremediable  destruction.     The  whole  verse  is  descrip- 
tive, in  highly  figurative  language,  of  a  work  of  judgment  by  which  the 
evil  should  be  thoroughly  purged  out  of  the  nation  and   the  kingdom 
of  God  set  up.      Cf.  T|  28.     This  was  the  work  which  John  evidently 
expected  the  Mightier  One  to  do  when  he  came.     Cf.  Mai.  4 :  1-3. 


WINNOWING 
[From  Neil,  Picturesque  Palestine^ 


MINISTRY    OF    JOHN    THE     BAPTIST  53 

1[4Q.  Notes  on  §  i8,  Luke  3:1-18.  —  Vs.  i,  "In  the  fifteenth  year  of 
Tiberius  Caesar" :  There  is  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  event  from  which 
these  years  should  be  reckoned.  Tiberius  was  associated  with  Augustus  as 
joint  emperor  about  the  end  of  1 1  A.  D.  He  became  full  emperor  at  the 
death  of  Augustus,  August  19,  14  A.  D.  If  the  earlier  date  be  chosen  (and 
on  the  whole  this  seems  the  more  probable),  the  appearance  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist would  be  in  the  latter  part  of  25  or  early  part  of  26  A.  D.  If  the  later 
date  be  chosen,  John  would  appear  three  years  later  (28  or  29  A.  D.).  '•  Pon- 
tius Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea"  :  Pilate  was  made  procurator  of  Judea 
m  25  or  26  A.  D.  "  Herod  being  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  his  brother  Philip," 
etc.:  A  tetrarch  was  a  Aative  ruler  lower  in  rank  than  a  king.  Palestine 
contained,  in  the  time  of  Jesus,  the  two  tetrarchies  mentioned.  Syria  as  a 
whole  contained  seventeen.  These  rulers  were  dependent  upon  Rome,  but 
were  not  immediately  subject  to  the  provincial  officials.  They  levied  their 
own  taxes  and  maintained  their  own  armies,  but  were  always  liable  to  imme- 
diate deposition  (as  in  the  case  of  Herod  Antipas  in  39  or  40  A.  D.),  if  they 
were  suspected  of  disloyalty  or  bad  government.  Herod  Antipas  was  thus 
in  charge  of  the  region  of  which  Jesus  was  a  citizen.  He  was  not  a  model 
ruler,  but  managed  to  maintain  himself  for  about  forty-three  years,  when  he 
was  banished  to  Lyons  on  the  charge  of  preparing  for  a  revolt.  He  was  a 
great  builder,  his  chief  city  being  Tiberias  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  His  brother 
Philip  had  a  much  less  fertile  territory,  but  was  a  good  ruler.  He,  too,  was 
a  builder  of  cities,  Banias  or  Caesarea  Philippi  and  Bethsaida  Julias  being  the 
special  objects  of  his  expenditures.  Of  Lysanias,  the  tetrarch  of  Abilene,  we 
know  nothing  certainly.  "Annas  and  Caiaphas  being  high  priests  "  :  Only  one 
man  could  be  high  priest  at  a  time,  and  this  from  18  to  36  A.  D.  we  know 
was  Caiaphas.  But  Annas  had  been  high  priest  7-14  A.  D.,  and  even  if  his 
deposition  was  not  regarded  as  illegal,  he  controlled  his  successors,  several  of 
whom  were  from  his  own  family.  Thus  from  all  these  historical  data,  so 
carefully  given  by  Luke,  we  are  led  to  conclude  that  John  the  Baptist  began 
his  work  toward  the  end  of  25  or  the  beginning  of  26  A,  D. 

Vs.  3;  cf.  Mark  1:45.  ^ss.  4-6;  cf.  Mark  1:2,  3;  Matt.  3:3; 
Luke  omits  the  words  from  Malachi  which  Mark  prefixes  to  those  from 
Isaiah  and  extends  the  quotation  from  Isaiah.  Vss.  3-9 ;  cf.  Matt.  3  :  7- 
10.  Observe  how  closely  similar  the  two  accounts  are.  Vss.  10-14: 
Notice  how  in  these  verses,  found  only  in  Luke,  John  points  out,  in  con- 
crete examples  adapted  to  the  several  classes  of  people,  how  the  repent- 
ance which  he  demanded  would  express  itself.  These  are  examples  of 
the  **  fruits  worthy  of  repentance"  (vs.  8.).  Vs.  13,  "extort  no  more," 
etc.:  Under  the  current  system  of  raising  taxes  extortion  was  easy, 
and  common  among  the  collectors  of  customs  (publicans.)  Vs.  14,  "do 
violence  to  no  man":  as  in  the  case  of  the  collectors  of  customs   so 


54  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

here  John  selects  for  reproof  those  vices  to  which  the  soldiers  were 
specially  liable.  Notice  that  he  does  not  tell  them  to  give  up  their 
occupations. 

Vs.  15,  "And  as  the  people  were  in  expectation,"  etc.  In  a  time 
when  there  was  constant  readiness  to  accept  anyone  as  the  Messiah, 
provided  he  met  popular  expectation,  the  appearance  of  John,  such  a 
prophet  as  had  not  been  for  generations,  set  people  to  wondering 
whether  he  were  the  Christ.  See  the  reflection  of  this  feeling  in  John 
1:19,  20.  Vss.  16,  17;  see  Matt.  3:11,  12.  Vs.  18,  "the  good 
tidings":  the  gospel.  Much  of  John's  preaching  was  of  judgment 
rather  than  of  salvation,  but  it  always  included  salvation  for  the  repent- 
ant. He  sought  by  the  terrors  of  a  coming  judgment  to  persuade 
men  to  escape  from  judgment.  Cf.  vs.  17,  "gather  the  wheat  into 
the  garner,"  and  Matt.  3  :  2.  Vss.  19,  20  will  be  taken  up  in  connec- 
tion with  §  34. 

^  50.  Current  Ideas  concerning  the  Messiah. — The  Jewish  hope  for  a 
Messiah,  was  at  bottom  a  hope  for  a  divinely  appointed  (and  anointed) 
deliverer  from  national  distress.  Throughout  the  history  of  the 
Hebrew  people  their  prophets  had  promised  that  God  would  aid  them, 
and  if  they  were  in  danger  from  their  enemies,  would  deliver  them, 
provided  only  they  kept  his  commandments  and  were  true  to  him  in 
other  ways.  This  succession  of  promises  could  never  be  quite  fulfilled, 
however,  because  of  the  wrongdoings  of  the  Hebrew  nation ;  but  the 
hope  grew  deeper  and  more  distinct.  By  degrees,  also,  it  came  to 
include,  not  merely  the  idea  of  a  reestablished,  glorious  kingdom  of 
Israel  over  which  God  was  to  be  king  —  the  kingdom  of  God —  but  also 
of  a  specific  person  through  whom  God  would  establish  the  kingdom. 
Thus  the  Messianic  hope  in  the  time  of  Jesus  was  the  child  of  faith  and 
national  misfortune;  at  once  religious  and  political.  Its  form  was 
various  according  as  the  one  or  the  other  of  these  two  elements  pre- 
dominated. All  classes,  however,  believed  that  the  Messiah  would  be 
the  son  of  David,  and  that  his  kingdom  would  consist  of  Jews  and 
proselytes.  With  the  more  intellectual  classes,  especially  the  Phari- 
sees, the  Messiah  was  something  more  than  a  mere  man,  though  less 
than  God.  His  coming  was  to  be  preceded  by  that  of  Elijah  (Mai. 
4:5:  Mark  9:11,  12  ;  cf.  Mark  6:15;  John  1:21)  and  awful  portents 
in  the  heavens.  In  despair  of  obtaining  an  ordinary  earthly  kingdom, 
some  of  the  Pharisees  believed  his  work  would  be  accomplished  only 
after  the  evil  angels  had  been  conquered,  the  dead  had  been  raised, 
and  all  men  had  been  judged.     Then  he  should  reign  from  Jerusalem 


MINISTRY    OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST  55 

over  a  great  Jewish  nation,  to  which  all  heathen  people  should  be  sub- 
ject. When  this  kingdom  had  been  firmly  established,  the  Messiah 
would  turn  it  over  to  God  himself.  Naturally  the  Pharisees  did  not 
recognize  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  On  the  part  of  the  masses  the  hope  was 
more  political,  and  the  deliverance  was  supposed  to  be  from  the  rule 
of  the  Romans.  This  popular  conception  it  was  that  led  so  many 
people  to  misjudge  Jesus  and  to  regard  him  as  a  political  agitator. 


^51.  Questions  etad  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  With  what 
events  does  Mark  conceive  the  gospel  history  to  begin  ?  (2) 
What  apostle  expresses  a  similar  thought  ?  (3)  *  Give  in  outline 
Mark's  account  of  John  the  Baptist,  distinguishing  [a)  his  place 
of  v^rork,  [d]  appearance  and  mode  of  life,  [c)  his  message  to 
the  people,  including  the  moral  change  demanded,  the  external 
act  associated  with  this  moral  change,  and  his  announcement  for 
the  future.  (4)*  What  do  Matthew  and  Luke  add  in  common 
to  Mark's  account?  (5)*  What  does  Luke  add  that  is  found 
neither  in  Mark  nor  Matthew?  (6)*  How  does  Luke  date  the 
beginning  of  the  ministry  of  John  ?  To  what  year  does  this 
probably  assign  it?  (7)  What  is  repentance?  (8)  By  what 
announcement  did  John  enforce  his  command  to  repent  ?  (9) 
What  did  he  teach  about  the  value  of  Abrahamic  descent  to 
save  one  from  God's  wrath?  (10)*  How  did  he  describe  the 
Greater  One  whom  he  announced  ?  What  phase  of  his  work  did 
he  emphasize  ?  (ii)  How  did  he  contrast  his  own  work  with 
that  of  the  Greater  One  to  come  ?  (12)  By  what  motives  espe- 
cially did  he  appeal  to  the  people  ?  (13)  In  what  sense  was  his 
preaching  a  gospel  (good  news)  ?  (14)*  What  elements  of 
character  appear  most  strongly  in  John  as  he  is  depicted  in  the 
synoptic  narrative?  (15)  What  facts  made  it  natural  for  the 
people  to  wonder  whether  John  were  the  Christ?  (16)*  What 
kind  of  Messiah  were  the  Pharisees  looking  for  ?  (17)*  What 
kind  were  the  people  expecting  ? 

^52.  Constructive  Work. —  Having  completed  the  study  of  this 
chapter  as  indicated  above,  write  for  your  "  Life  of  Christ  "  (inserting 
above  it  the  part  title  as  on  p.  49)  — 


56  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

CHAPTER    IV. 
THE    MINISTRY    OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST. 

1.  The  time  and  place  of  John's  work. 

2.  His  message  of  command  and  prediction  ;  the  relation  of  bap- 
tism to  his  preaching. 

3.  His  announcement  of  the  Greater  One  to  come. 

4.  His  character  as  shown  in  these  earlier  events  of  his  public  life. 

^53.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  character  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Bible  Dictionaries,  art.  "John  the  Baptist ;  "  Feather,  The  Last  of  the  Prophets; 
Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Vol.  I,  pp.  255-74 ;  Zenos,  in 
Biblical  World,  January,  1900. 

2.  The  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist ;  who  were  they,  and  what  did 
they  probably  believe  ? 

3.  The  Jewish  expectation  of  the  Messiah. 

SCHURER,  The  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of  Jesus  Christ,  Div.  II,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
154-87;  Wendt,  The  Teaching  <?/ /<fjMj,  Vol.  I,  pp.  33-89  ;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Vol.  I,  pp.  160-79  ;  Mathews,  History  of  New  Testament 
Times  in  Palestine,  pp.  159-69. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    BAPTISM    AND    TEMPTATION    OF   JESUS. 

§19.  The  baptism  of  Jesus 

Matt.  3  :  13-17.  Mark  1:9-11.  Luke  3  :  21,  22  [23  a\, 

§  20.  The  temptation  in  the  wilderness. 

Matt.  4:1-11.  Mark  1:12,  13.  Luke  4  : 1-13. 

^54.  Notes  on  §19,  Mark  i  :9-ii. — Vs.  9,  "Nazareth  of  Galilee"  : 
on  the  location  see  If  21.  Recall  also  the  years  Jesus  had  spent 
there  {cf.  W  40,  43),  and  what  he  was  now  leaving  behind.  "  In  the 
Jordan  "  {cf.  R.  V.  mg.)  :  The  place  of  Jesus'  baptism  cannot  be  deter- 
mined with  certainty.  The  traditional  sites  of  the  Greek  and  Latin 
churches  are  in  the  south,  near  Jericho.  But  Bethany  (John  i  :  28),  to 
which  place  Jesus  apparently  returned  after  his  temptation,  is  a  more 
probable  place,  and  this  is  probably  farther  north,  near  the  southern 
border  of  Galilee,  at  or  near  the  point  marked  as  Bethabara  on  the 
map.  Vs.  II,  "My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased-";  cf. 
\  20  (3)  ;  the  language  from  heaven  is  the  assurance  to  Jesus  that  he 


BAPTISM    AND    TEMPTATION    OF    JESUS  5/ 

is  in  a  peculiar  sense  the  object  of  God's  love  and  approval  {cf.  Mark 
9:7;  Eph.  1:6;  Col.  I  :i3),  and  begets,  we  can  hardly  doubt,  in  a 
measure  in  which  it  had  not  existed  before,  the  consciousness  of  his 
mission  as  the  Messiah. 

^55.  Notes  on  §  19,  Matt.  3  :  13-17. — Vs.  13;  cf.  Mark  i  :  9.  Vs. 
14,  "But  John  would  have  hindered  him,"  etc.  :  John  had  urgently- 
commanded  the  people  to  repent  and  be  baptized,  and  had  boldly 
rebuked  those  whom  he  suspected  of  insincerity  ;  but  when  Jesus  comes 
to  him  he  feels  himself  in  the  presence,  not  of  one  morally  inferior  to 
him,  but  of  his  superior,  and  in  the  words,  "  I  have  need  to  be  bap- 
tized of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me  ?  "  confesses  his  sense  of  the  inap- 
propriateness  of  Jesus  receiving  baptism  at  his  hands.  Yet  notice  that 
he  neither  says  that  it  is  in  itself  unfitting  for  Jesus  to  be  baptized,  nor 
indicates  that  he  knew  Jesus  to  be  the  Christ.  He  may  or  may  not 
have  had  personal  acquaintance  with  him;  there  is  nothing  to  indicate 
that  he  yet  knew  him  to  be  the  Christ  {cf.  John  i  :  31).  Vs.  15,  **  suf- 
fer it  now"  :  This  reply  of  Jesus  virtually  admits  the  unsuitableness  of 
his  being  baptized  by  John,  and  by  implication  his  own  superiority  to 
John,  which  John  had  felt,  but  sets  is  aside /<?r  the  time ;  in  due  season 
his  superiority  will  be  manifest.  "  For  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness":  Jesus  regarded  John's  work  as  a  part  of  the  plan  of 
God.  For  him  to  share  in  it  was,  therefore,  to  obey  the  will  of  God, 
/'.  e.,  to  do  righteousness.  He  made  the  same  application  to  the  people 
at  large  (Luke  7  :  29,  30),  saying  that  they  who  were  baptized  by  John 
declared  God  to  be  righteous,  while  the  Pharisees  by  refusing  made 
the  plan  of  God  ineffectual  in  their  own  case.  John  had  urged  a  con- 
sideration of  propriety ;  Jesus  puts  the  matter  on  the  ground  of  duty. 
In  the  presence  of  duty  the  highest  propriety  is  to  waive  propriety  and 
do  the  duty.  In  this  sentence  —  the  second  one  which  the  gospels 
record  from  Jesus'  lips  —  we  gain  a  most  significant  light  upon  the  prin- 
ciples of  his  life.  Compare  his  words  in  the  temple  (Luke  2  149)  and 
the  notes  in  ^42.     On  vss.  16,  17  cf.  Mark  i  :  10,  11. 

^56.  Notes  on  §  19,  Luke  3  :  21,  22. — Vs.  21,  "When  all  the  people 
were  baptized  "  :  not  "after  all  had  been  baptized,"  nor  while  the  rest 
were  being  baptized  "  (and  so  in  the  presence  of  others),  but  simply  at 
the  same  time  (in  general)  at  which  the  rest  of  the  people  were  baptized. 
None  of  the  gospels  imply  that  there  were  spectators  of  Jesus'  baptism. 
"And  praying" :  a  feature  of  the  narrative  peculiar  to  Luke. 

^57.  The  Baptism  of  Jesus. — As  has  appeared  from  a  study  of 
his  own  words  (•T  55),  the  baptism  of  Jesus  was  not  a  confession  of  sin, 


58  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

but  a  profession  of  devotion  to  a  revealed  plan  of  God.  The  devotion  of 
one's  self  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  whose  approach  John  had  announced, 
involved  in  the  case  of  others,  but  not  in  his,  repentance  and  confes- 
sion of  sin.  Had  he  allowed  any  consideration  to  induce  him  not  to 
join  John  the  Baptist,  his  influence  would  have  been  thrown  against 
the  revival  of  righteousness  which  John  was  seeking  to  bring  about. 
Before  such  an  alternative  the  Son  of  God  could  only  act  as  he  did 
act.  By  so  doing  he  became  formally,  of  course,  a  follower  of  John, 
but  immediately  afterward  he  began  a  new  Messianic  movement. 

From  this  act,  we  must  believe,  dates  the  beginning  of  his  clear 
conviction  that  he  was  to  undertake  the  work  of  founding  the  kingdom 
of  God ;  that  he  was  the  one  whom  John  was  foretelling.  From  the 
moment  the  voice  from  heaven  sounded  in  his  heart  he  devoted  himself 
with  unswerving  purpose  and  self-sacrifice  to  the  new  work.  Before  his 
baptism  he  was  a  private  individual ;  after  his  baptism  he  took  up  the 
work  of  the  Messiah.     i^Cf.  Acts  4:27;   10  :  38.) 

^58.  Notes  on  §  20,  Mark  i :  12,  13. — Vs.  12,  "and  straightway  the 
Spirit  driveth  him  forth"  :  The  assurance  of  divine  sonship  in  connec- 
tion with  the  baptism  is  immediately  followed  by  an  impulse  from  the 
Spirit  to  seek  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness,  doubtless  for  reflection 
upon  the  new  work  opening  up  before  him.  ''Into  the  wilderness": 
at  what  particular  place  it  is  idle  to  guess.  Tradition  points  to  a  high 
hill  northwest  of  Jericho,  called  Mons  Quarantana  (the  forty-day  moun- 
tain), in  modern  Arabic  Jebel  Quruntil.  But  the  tradition  is  of  no 
special  value.  Vs.  13,  "forty  days  tempted  of  Satan"  :  The  tempta- 
tion, continued  through  the  whole  period,  was,  no  doubt,  inseparably 
connected  with  his  meditation  over  his  plans.  "With  the  wilds  beasts": 
as  would  be  natural  in  the  wilderness.  The  statement  is  peculiar  to 
Mark. 

•[[59.  Noteson§20,  Matt.  4  :  i-ii. — Vs.  i,  "to  be  tempted"  :  cf.^^%. 
Vs.  3,  "  And  the  tempter  came "  :  a  visible  appearance  is  not  at  all 
required  by  the  narrative.  "If  thou  art  the  Son  of  God"  :  referring 
to  the  voice  from  heaven  (3:17),  and  basing  the  temptation  on  that. 
"  Command  that  these  stones  become  bread  "  :  an  appeal  to  his  hun- 
ger {cf.  vs.  2),  and  conveying  the  suggestion  that  there  is  an  incon- 
sistency between  his  being  God's  Son,  the  special  object  of  God's  love, 
and  going  hungry,  and  that  he  must  either  substantiate  his  conviction 
of  sonship  by  feeding  himself  miraculously,  or  doubt  that  sonship. 
Vs.  4,  "  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  pro- 
ceedeth  from  out  of  the  mouth  of  God  "  :  /.  e.,  shall  not  regard  bread 


BAPTISM    AND    TEMPTATION    OF    JESUS  59 

as  indispensable,  but  shall  in  simple  trust  in  God  wait  his  word  (see 
Deut.  8  :  3).  This  principle  of  trust  in  the  all-sufficient  God,  which 
God  taught  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  Jesus  applies  to  his  own  case. 
He  will  not  insist  on  bread  as  the  evidence  of  God's  love,  but  will  trust 
God's  word  (3  :  17).  Vs.  5,  "the  devil  taketh  him":  in  thought,  no 
doubt,  not  bodily,  for  against  Jesus'  will  this  would  have  been  impossible, 
and  with  his  will  sinful  on  his  part.  "  The  pinnacle  of  the  temple  ":  some 
high  gable  of  the  temple  or  its  colonnades  is  referred  to,  perhaps  that 
very  high  one  which  overlooks  the  valley  of  Kedron.  Vs.  6,  "  If 
thou  art  the  son  of  Gpd  " :  as  before,  an  appeal  to  his  consciousness 
of  divine  sonship,  with  perhaps  an  added  reference  to  the  trustful  con- 
fidence in  God  just  expressed  (vs.  4).  "  Cast  thyself  down  :  for  it  is 
written,  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge,"  etc.:  i.  e.^  if  thou  art  God's 
Son,  he  will  surely  care  for  thee  ;  prove  it  by  throwing  yourself  down. 
Under  guise  of  an  appeal  to  filial  trust  lies  concealed  a  temptation  to 
distrust.  Vs.  7,  "Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God":  The 
words  are  from  Deut.  6:16,  and  forbid  making  demands  on  God,  or 
putting  him  to  the  test,  from  doubt  of  his  care.  Jesus  refuses  to  do 
this ;  trust  needs  no  self-appointed  test  of  God.  In  his  work  in  the  world 
as  God's  Son  he  wil  not  manufacture  evidence  of  God^s  presence  and 
care,  for  himself  or  for  others.  He  will  go  forward  in  simple  trust, 
taking  such  evidences  of  God's  love  and  care  as  come  in  the  doing  of 
duty.  See  the  opposite  spirit  of  the  Jews  and  Jesus'  answer  in  Mark 
8:  II,  12.  Vs.  8,  "All  the  kingdoms  of  the  world":  a  mental  vision 
of  that  world  that  Jesus  wished  to  win  for  God.  Vs.  9,  "  if  thou 
wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me  "  :  a  figure  of  speech  descriptive  of 
what  the  course  of  action  which  was  suggested  to  him  would  really 
amount  to.  One  naturally  thinks  of  some  concession  to  the  false, 
worldly  ideas  of  the  times,  by  which  he  might  have  gained  adherents 
rapidly;  some  compromise,  in  word  or  act,  which  to  Jesus'  thought 
amounted  to  giving  homage  to  the  devil.  Vs.  10,  "Thou  shalt  wor- 
ship the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve":  quoted  from 
^,Deutr^  13,  where  it  enjoins  Israel  to  worship  Jehovah  only,  as  against 
the  gods  of  the  surrounding  nations.  In  the  mouth  of  Jesus  it  means 
that  allegiance  and  reverence  are  due  to  no  human  authority,  to  no 
worldly  ideals,  but  to  God  only.  In  his  life  there  is  to  be  no  divided 
allegiance.     Vs.  \\\  cf.  Mark  1:13^. 

^  60.  Notes  on  §  20,  Luke  4  : 1-13. — The  narrative  of  Luke  is  like 
Mark's  in  extending  the  temptations  through  the  forty  days  ;  like 
Matthew's  in  narrating  the  three  temptations  at  the  end.     The  second 


60  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

and  third  temptations  are  put  in  a  different  order  in  Luke  ;  for  the 
difference  no  satisfactory  explanation  can  be  given,  nor  is  it  important. 
^  6i.  Messiahship  as  Conceived  by  Jesus. — The  idea  of  Messiahship 
was  essentially  Jewish,  and  had  Jesus  been  content  to  take  it  as  it 
existed,  it  could  have  had  little  meaning  for  other  peoples.  But  Jesus 
did  with  it  as  he  did  with  so  many  other  Jewish  conceptions  :  although 
he  continued  to  use  the  words  of  the  Jews  he  plunged  beneath  the  sur- 
face and  form  to  the  fundamental  thought  they  represented,  and  dealt 
with  this.  To  be  the  Christ  meant  to  found  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  but 
this  is  only  to  say  that  to  be  the  Christ  meant  to  make  human  society 
righteous  and  prosperous  by  bringing  its  members  into  right  relations 
with  God.  Thus  he  made  the  term  "  kingdom  of  God  '*  social  and 
religious  rather  than  political.  He  does  not  often  use  the  word  "  Mes- 
siah "  with  reference  to  himself,  but  it  is  clear  that  as  the  Christ  he 
regards  his  duty  as  consisting  in  these  things  :  (i)  he  must  found  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth ;  (2)  he  must  found  it  by  inducing  men  to 
love  God  in  order  that  they  may  be  like  him ;  (3)  he  must  show  men 
how  to  live  as  members  of  the  kingdom;  (4)  he  must  present  himself 
as  the  ideal  of  the  kingdom,  both  by  living  as  a  real  Son  of  God,  full 
of  faith  in  his  Father's  wisdom  and  love,  and  also  as  a  brother  of  men, 
full  of  self-sacrificing  love.  In  a  word,  Jesus'  idea  of  Messiahship  was 
simply  this  :  to  get  people  to  be  like  himself  in  order  that  they  might 
live  right  with  God  and  man. 


^  62.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — ( i )  Relate  the 
story  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus  as  told  by  Mark.  (2)  What  dis- 
tinct addition  does  Matthew  make  to  the  Mark  narrative?  (3)* 
What  is  the  meaning,  in  Jesus'  reply  to  John,  of  the  words,  "Suf- 
fer it  now"  ?  (4)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  **  thus  it  becometh 
us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness"?  (5)*  What  great  principle  of 
conduct  does  Jesus  enunciate  in  this  answer  to  John?  (6)*  Is 
this  principle  valid  for  him  only,  or  for  all  men?  (7)*  What 
elements  of  Jesus'  religious  life  that  ought  to  be  in  ours  are 
revealed  in  this  passage  and  in  Luke  2:49?  (8)  Was  duty  a 
repulsive  thing  to  Jesus  ?  (9)  *  What  was  the  meaning  for  Jesus 
of  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  and  the  voice  from  heaven  ? 

(10)  Tell  the  story  of  Jesus'  temptation  in  the  wilderness 
as  related  by  Mark,      (ii)    Relate  the  story  of  the  first  of  the 


BEGINNINGS    OF    FAITH    IN    JESUS  6l 

three  temptations  as  recorded  by  Matthew.  (12)  Of  the  second. 
(13)  Of  the  third.  (14)  Wherein  does  Luke's  narrative  differ 
from  Matthew's?  (15)*  Explain  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  answer 
to  the  first  temptation.  (16)*  To  the  second.  (17)*  To  the 
third.  (18)  What  gave  occasion  to  these  temptations,  and  of 
what  use  were  they  to  Jesus  ?  (19)*  What  great  principles  of 
conduct  are  involved  in  his  several  answers?  (20)  Can  you 
suggest  circumstances  of  modern  life  to  which  these  principles 
would  be  applicable  ? 

^63.  Constructive  Work. —  Having  completed  the  preceding  work, 
write  chap,  v  of  your  "  Life  of  Christ  "  treating  the  baptism  and  the 
temptation. 

^  64.  Supplemenj:ary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  contrasts  between  the  life  of  Jesus  before,  and  his  life  after, 
his  baptism  in  (a)  occupation,  (d)  home,  (c)  relations  to  kindred,  (d) 
relations  to  people  in  general. 

2.  Illustrations  of  typical  human  experience  in  that  of  Jesus  during 
this  period. 

3.  Wherein  did  the  beginnings  of  John's  work  resemble  those  of 
Jesus  ? 


CHAPTER  VL 

THE    BEGINNINGS    OF    FAITH    IN    JESUS. 

§21.  John's  testimony  before  the  priests  and  Levites. 

John  I : 19-28. 
§22?  Jesus  the  Lamb  of  God.  John  i  :  29-34. 

§23.  The  first  three  disciples.  John  i  :  35-42. 

§^24.  Philip  and  Nathanael.  John  i  :  43-51. 

§25.  The  first  miracle  :  water  made  wine.         John  2  :  i-ii. 
§  26.  Sojourn  in  Capernaum.  John  2  :  12. 

^  65.  Notes  on  §21,  John  i  :  19-28. — Vs.  19,  "when  the  Jews  sent  unto 
him  ....  to  ask  him.  Who  art  thou  ?  "  :  on  the  inquiry  awakened  by 
John  see  Luke  3:15.  Vs.  21,  "Art  thou  Elijah?"  On  the  basis  of  a 
literal  interpretation  of  Mai.  4 :  5,  Elijah  was  expected  to  come  before 
the  Christ  (c/.  Matt.  17  :  10).  This  prophecy  Jesus  recognizes  as  ful- 
filled in  its  real  sense  in  John  the  Baptist  (Matt.  17  :  11  ff.;  11  :  14). 
John  denies  that  he  is  Elijah,  because  he  knew  he  was  not  Elijah  in  the 


62  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

sense  intended  by  the  question.  "  Art  thou  the  prophet  ?  " :  the  question 
refers  to  the  prophet  promised  in  Deut.  18:15.   Cf.  John  6  :  14,  30,  31  ; 
Acts   3:22.      Vs.   23,   **  I  am   the  voice   of    one    crying,"  etc.:  more 
exactly,  "  a  voice  of  one,"  etc.     John  wishes  to  sink  his  personality  out 
of  sight ;  he  will  not  identify  himself  with  any  of  the  great  personali- 
ties which  the  Jews  have  pictured  to  themselves  and  for  which  they  are 
looking  ;  he  is  simply  a  voice,  bidding  men,  "  Make  straight  the  way 
of  the  Lord."     These  words  of  Isaiah,  originally  employed  to  picture 
poetically  the  return  of  Jehovah  bringing  his  people  from  captivity, 
are  employed  by  John  as  aptly  describing  the  spiritual  preparation  for 
Jehovah's  coming  to  his  people.     Vs.  25,  "why  then  baptizest  thou,  if 
thou  art  not  the  Christ"  :  probably  on  the  basis  of  Zech.  13:  i,  the 
administration  of  a  rite  symbolic  of  purification  was  thought  to  belong 
to  the  Messiah.     Vs.   26;  cf.  Mark   i  :  7,  8,  but  notice  that  he  whom 
John  then  spoke  of  as  coming  he  now  says  is  present,  though  unknown. 
Vs.   28,  "  Bethany  beyond   Jordan "  :     Notice    the    marginal  reading 
Bethabara,  or  Betharaba,  probably  another  name  for  the  same  place  or 
of  a  place  near  at  hand.     Various  sites  have  been  suggested  for  this 
place,  but  the  most    probable  view   is    that  which  finds    it  at  Mak't 
'Abarah,  a  ford  of  the  Jordan  a  little  northeast  of  Scythopolis.  Bethany 
is  perhaps  a  modified  form  of  Batanea  (Conder,  Tent  Work,  Vol.  II, 
pp.  64-8)  or  simply  another  name  for  Bethabara,  meaning  the  same 
thing  (Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Vol.  I,  p.  278). 
^66.  Notes   on  §22,  John   1:29-34. — V&.  29,  **On  the  morrow": 
Notice  that  these  §§  21-24  give  the  record  of  four  successive  days. 
"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world": 
The   conception  of  Jesus  involved  in  these  words  is  akin  to,  if  not 
derived  from,  that  of  Isa.,  chap.  53  (read  this  chapter  carefully) — a  man 
pure,  meek,  gentle,  and  bearing  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  by  bearing 
it  taking  it  away,  freeing  the  sinner  from  the  consequences  of  it.    This 
is  a  very  different  picture  from  that  which  John   had  drawn   of  the 
Coming  One    in  his  words  to    the  Jews  before   he  appeared   (Matt. 
3  :  10-12),  and  shows  that,  while  his  thought  about  what  the  Messiah 
would  be  led  him  to  emphasize  one  phase  of  his  work  as  set  forth  in 
the  prophets,  the  actual  sight  of  Jesus,  as  he  returned  from  his  forty 
days  in  the  wilderness,  aided  perhaps  by  actual  conversation  with  Jesus 
in  which  Jesus  had  set  forth  his  conception  of  the  work  that  he  must 
do,  impressed  him  with  a  very  different  aspect  of  Jesus'  own  character. 
Perhaps  he   could  not  himself   at   once  have   adjusted    these  to   one 
another,  though   they   actually   meet   in    Jesus'   own   life   and    work. 


BEGINNINGS    OF    FAITH    IN    JESUS  63 

Vs.  30,  "This  is  he  of  whom  I  said," etc.:  cf.  John  1:15.  The  gospels 
do  not  tell  when  John  had  said  this.  Vs.  31,  "And  I  know  him  not" : 
knew  him  not,  that  is,  as  the  Greater  One  who  was  to  follow  him ; 
personal  acquaintance  he  may  or  may  not  have  had.  John's  announce- 
ment of  his  greater  successor  was  an  act  of  faith,  not  of  sight.  Vss. 
32-34;  cf.  Mark  1:10,  11.  The  experience  at  the  Jordan,  so  deeply 
significant  for  Jesus,  became  also  to  John  a  revelation  of  Jesus  as  that 
One  for  whom  he  had  been  looking  and  whom  in  faith  he  had 
announced,  the  One  who,  himself  filled  with  the  Spirit,  should  baptize 
others  in  that  Spirit.  '  "The  Son  of  God":  see  ^  20,  and  note  on 
Mark  1:11. 

^67.  Notes  on  §23,  John  i : 35-42. — Vs.  37,  "two  disciples"  :  one 
of  them  being  Andrew  (vs.  40),  and  the  other  very  probably  John,  the 
evangelist.  Vs.  41,  "We  have  found  the  Messiah"  :  the  expression  of 
a  first  impression,  which  longer  acquaintance  was  not  only  to  deepen 
into  conviction,  but  also  to  modify,  as  he  learned  how  different  a 
Messiah  Jesus  was  to  be  from  that  which  he  at  first  thought  of. 

^68.  Notes  on  §24,  John  i  :  43-51  — Vs.  43,  "into  Galilee"  :  return- 
ing home  ;  cf.  Mark  i  :  9.  Vs.  44,  "Now  Philip  was  from  Bethsaida"  : 
viz.,  Bethsaida  of  Galilee  (John  12:21;  cf.  map),  perhaps  a  suburb  of 
Capernaum, 'where  Beter  and  Andrew  afterward  lived  (Mark  1:21,  29). 
Vs.  45,  "  him  of  whom  Moses  in  the  law,  and  the  prophets,  did  write"  : 
/.  e.,  the  Messiah  :  cf.  on  vs.  41.  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  son  of  Joseph  "  : 
so  Jesus  was  known  throu^out  his  public  life.  Vs.  46,  "  Can  any  good 
thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?"  :  a  place  without  distinction  or  reputa- 
tion, and  with  which  no  one  had  ever  associated  the  Messiah  (it  is  not 
even  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament),  and  all  the  less  likely  to  seem 
to  Nathanael  of  Cana  a  probable  birthplace  of  the  Messiah,  that  it  was' 
a  neighboring  village  to  that  in  which  he  himself  lived.  Vs.  49, 
"  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God  ;  thou  art  King  of  Israel "  :  the 
first  phrase  is  an  echo  of  John's  testimony,  the  second  an  explicit 
acknowledgment  of  his  Messiahship  {cf.  Ps.  2  :  6,  7  ;  2  Sam.  7:13,  14)- 
Testimony  and  the  impression  made  by  Jesus'  own  character  on  sus- 
ceptible minds  win  for  Jesus  his  first  disciples.  Vs.  51,  "angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man  "  :  he  shall  become  a 
medium  of  communication  between  heaven  and  earth.  (See  Gen. 
28  :  10  ff.)  "  Son  of  Man  "  :  used  here  for  the  first  time.     See  Tf  69. 

^69.  The  Term  "Son  of  Man." — The  expression  "  son  of  man"  is  fre- 
quently used  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  always  as  a  poetic  equivalent  of  man. 
Thus  in  Ps.  8:4,"  What  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and  the  son  of 


64  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

man  that  thou  visitest  him  ?  "  :  a  passage  which  Heb.  2  : 6  ff.  applies  to  Jesus, 
because  in  him  alone  is  this  ideal  picture  of  man  fully  realized.  Even  in 
Dan.  7:13,  though  the  passage  describes  the  Messianic  kingdom,  the  phrase 
"son  of  man"  simply  means  man,  being  used  to  set  forth  the  humane  char- 
acter of  that  kingdom  as  compared  with  the  fierce  and  brutal  character  of 
those  which  are  to  precede  it.  In  no  book  that  has  come  down  to  us  from 
the  period  between  the  writing  of  Daniel  and  the  coming  of  Christ  does  the 
term  "son  of  man"  occur,  unless  it  be  in  the  pseudepigraphical  book  of 
Enoch.  In  this  book  "the  Son  of  Man"  is  a  recognized  name  of  the  Mes- 
siah, and  many  have  inferred  that  this  is  the  sense  in  which  Jesus  uses  it. 
But  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  portions  of  the  book  of  Enoch  in  which  the 
expression  occurs  were  written  before  the  time  of  Jesus,  and  it  is  beyond 
question  from  the  gospels  (in  which  the  term  occurs  only  as  a  title  applied  by 
Jesus  to  himself)  that  the  people  at  least  did  not  understand  it  as  meaning 
the  Messiah.  For  Jesus  himself  constantly  used  it,  while  at  the  same  time 
instructing  his  disciples  not  to  tell  the  people  that  he  was  the  Messiah  (Mark 
8:30;  Q :  9,  30,  31).  Jesus'  use  of  it  as  a  name  for  himself  is  either  {a) 
expressive  of  his  own  consciousness  of  being  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word 
man,  all  that  God  intended  man  to  be,  doing  those  things  and  suffering  those 
things  which  it  is  the  part  of  man  to  do  and  suffer,  or  {b^  expressive  of  his 
relation  to  the  kingdom  of  God  he  was  founding.  In  Dan.  7:13  "a  son  of 
man"  is  the  type  of  the  "kingdom  of  saints  ; "  just  as  beasts  are  types  of 
other  kingdoms,  so  Jesus  is  the  type  of  the  kingdom.  As  he  is,  so  are  its 
members  to  be.  Even  though  they  could  not  see  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ, 
the  people  could  see  as  much  meaning  as  this  in  the  term :  he  was  trying  to 
get  people  to  be  like  himself. 

^70.  Notes  on  §25,  John  2:1-11. — Vs.  i,  "and  the  third  day": 
reckoned  from  the  day  of  i  :  43.  "  Cana  of  Galilee  "  :  see  ^[71.  Vs.  2, 
"and  his  disciples":  probably  the  five  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
chapter.  Vs.  4,  "Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee?"  or,  what 
have  we  in  common  ?,  indicating  that  the  thought  and  wish  implied  in 
her  hint  he  did  not  share  with  her.  "Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come"  :  the 
time  for  me  to  act.  Mary  perhaps  desired  a  conspicuous  display  of 
power ;  Jesus  would  bring  relief,  but  in  such  way  and  at  such  time  that 
it  would  attract  no  general  attention.  Vs.  6,  "After  the  Jews'  manner 
of  purifying  "  :  cf.  Mark  7  :  3,  4.  "Two  or  three  firkins  apiece"  :  a  fir- 
kin =  about  nine  gallons.  Vs.  8,  "the  ruler  of  the  feast"  :  either  a  head 
waiter  or,  as  is  more  likely,  a  guest  elected  to  preside.  Vs.  9,  "tasted 
the  water  now  become  wine"  :  that  the  whole  of  the  water  in  the  jars 
became  wine  is  not  said,  but  only  that  what  was  drawn  and  drunk 
became  wine.  Vs.  11,  "This  beginning  of  his  signs":  "sign"  is 
John's  usual  word  for  Jesus'  deeds  of  power,  and  one  that  emphasizes 


BEGINNINGS    OF    FAITH    IN    JESUS  65 

the  significance  of  the  deed  rather  than  either  its  power  or  its  won- 
drousness.  "Manifested  his  glory":  revealed  the  excellence  and 
beauty  of  his  character  and  power.  "And  his  disciples  believed  on 
him  ":  /.  e.,  believed  more  firmly  in  him  than  before ;  faith  is  by  its  very 
nature  a  thing  of  degrees,  capable  of  growing  and  intended  to  grow. 

^71.  Cana  of  Galilee. — The  home  of  Nathaniel  (John  21:2)  and 
the  place  of  Jesus'  first  miracle.  Since  the  sixteenth  century  Kefr 
Kenna,  three  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  Nazareth,  has  been  the 
commonly  accepted  site  of  Cana.  Robinson,  however,  in  1838 
advocated  Khurbet  |Canah,  called  also  Kana  el  Jelil  (the  modern 
equivalent  of  Cana  of  Galilee).  This  place  is  about  eight  miles  north 
of  Nazareth.  Opinions  are  much  divided  as  to  which  is  the  more 
probable  site.  Our  map  places  it  at  Kefr  Kenna.  Near  this  village 
there  is  a  beautiful  spring.,  and  the  children  of  the  village  run  after 
the  traveler  offering  him  water. 


^72.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)  Tell  the 
story  of  John's  testimony  before  the  priests  and  Levites  (§  2i). 
(2)*  What  prophecy  gives  occasion  to  the  question,  "Art  thou 
Elijah"?  (3)*  What  to  the  question,  "Art  thou  the  prophet?" 
(4)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  John's  reply,  "I  am  a  voice,"  etc.? 
(5)  What  gives  rise  to  the  question,  "Why  baptizest  thou,"  etc.? 

(6)*  What  does  John  mean  by  the  words,  "Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world"?  (7)  To 
what  influence  is  it  due  that  this  characterization  of  Jesus  is  so 
different  from  his  announcement  of  the  Coming  One  ?  (8) 
What  further  testimony  did  John  bear  respecting  Jesus  on  this 
occasion?  (9)*  What  does  John  mean  by  saying  that  he  did 
not  know  Jesus  ? 

(10)  What  testimony  did  John  bear  to  two  of  his  disciples? 
(§23).  (11)  What  was  the  result  of  this  testimony?  (12) 
Who  were  these  two  disciples,  and  what  third  one  did  one  of 
these  bring  to  Jesus  ?  (13)  What  element  of  John's  character  is 
illustrated  in  his  conduct  in  this  matter,  and  in  what  respects  is 
his  conduct  to  be  emulated  by  us  today  ? 

(14)  What  other  disciples  did  Jesus  call  to  follow  him  the 
next    day?       (15)    Whom    did    this    disciple    bring    to    Jesus? 


66  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(i6)  Relate  the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  Nathaniel.  (17) 
What  is  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  last  sentence  ?  ( 18)  *  Tell  briefly 
the  events  of  each  of  the  four  days  referred  to  in  §§21-24. 
(19)*  What  two  influences  drew  to  Jesus  his  first  disciples  ? 

(20)  Tell  the  story  of  the  wedding  at  Cana.  (21)*  What 
elements  of  Jesus'  character  are  revealed  in  his  conduct  on  this 
occasion?  (22)*  What  impression  and  effect  did  Jesus'  act 
produce  on  the  minds  of  the  disciples  ? 

(23)  Where  did  Jesus  go  after  the  wedding  at  Cana?  (24) 
Who  accompanied  him  ? 

(25)  Point  out  on  the  map  each  of  the  places  mentioned  in 
this  chapter  and  indicate  the  event  which  happened  at  each. 
(26)  Commit  to  memory  the  titles  of  the  sections  in  chaps, 
iv,  V,  vi. 

^73.  Constructive  Work. —  Having  completed  the  study  indicated 
above,  write  chap,  vi  of  your  "Life  of  Christ,"  following  the  outline  of 
sections  given  at  the  head  of  the  chapter,  or  constructing  an  outline  for 
yourself. 

^74.   Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  route  of  Jesus  from  the  Jordan  to  Cana. 

2.  Jesus'  general  habit  of  life  as  illustrated  in  his  attendance  at  the 
wedding.     Compare  it  with  that  of  John  the  Baptist. 

3.  Jewish  weddings. 

Edersheim,  Sketches  of  Jewish  Social  Life,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  351-5  ;  Staffer,  Palestine  in  the  Time  of  Christ,  pp.  159-65.  See  also 
Dictionaries  of  the  Bible  (esp.  Hastings'),  arts,  on  "  Marriage." 

4.  The  history  of  the  first  disciples  {a)  in  their  relation  with 
Jesus,  (^)  in  their  work  as  preachers  of  the  gospel. 

See  Dictionaries  of  the  Bible. 

5.  What  sort  of  a  Messiah  did  these  disciples  at  this  time  probably 
think  Jesus  would  be? 


Part  III. 


THE  EARLY  JUDEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM  THE  PUBLIC  APPEARANCE  OF  JESUS  IN  JERUSALEM  UNTIL  HIS 
RETURN  TO  GALILEE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST's    WORK    IN    JERUSALEM. 

§27.  First  cleansing  of  the  temple.  John  2:13-22. 

§28.  Discourse  with  Nicodemus.  John  2  123— 3:21. 

^75.  Notes  on  §27,  John  2:13-22. — Vs.  13,  **The  passover  of  the 
Jews  was  at  hand,  and  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem  "  :  on  the  feasts  of 
the  Jews  and  the  season  of  the  passover  see  ^[76.  Vs.  14,  "and  he 
found  in  the  temple  those  that  sold "  :  doubtless  in  the  great  court 
of  the  Gentiles,  which  lay  outside  the  sanctuary  proper,  and  was  so 
called  because  the  Gentiles  were  admitted  to  it,  though  forbidden  on 
pain  of  death  to  go  farther.  *' Oxen,  sheep,  and  doves":  for  sacrificial 
purposes.  "And  the  changers  of  money  sitting":  the  temple  tax 
(cf.  Matt.  17  :  24)  was  required  to  be  paid  in  Jewish  money;  hence  the 
need  of  money  changers,  since  Jews  came  to  the  great  feasts  from 
many  lands  {cf.  Acts  2  :  5-1 1  ;  8  :  27),  and  even  in  Judea  and  Galilee 
Roman  coinage  was  in  common  use  (Mark  12:15,  16).  Vs.  15,  "and 
he  ...  .  cast  all  out  of  the  temple":  more,  of  course,  by  the  power  of 
his  righteous  indignation  than  by  any  physical  force.  Vs.  t6,  "make 
not  my  Father's  house,"  etc.:  the  same  name  for  the  temple  which 
Luke  records  him  to  have  used  in  his  boyhood  (Luke  2  :  49).  The 
offensiveness  of  this  traffic  to  Jesus  was  not  in  the  traffic  itself,  which  was 
a  convenience,  if  not  a  necessity,  to  those  who  came  from  a  distance  to 
attend  the  feast  and  make  offerings  in  connection  with  it,  nor  in  the 
presence  of  animals  in  the  temple  or  its  courts,  since  this  also  was  a 
necessity  in  connection  with  the  sacrifices,  but  in  the  conversion  of  a 
place  of  worship  into  a  place  of  traffic  —  a  traffic  to  which  the  priests 
must  have  consented,  and  from  which  there  is  reason  to  believe  they 

67 


68 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


wm'm''''<i''"i!isrt&i^i'f''i''!VT'<ifn'T'T'in'^ 


0PH6L  CATB 


PLAN  OF  THE  TEMPLE 
[From  Edersheim,  The  Temple  at  the  Time  of  Christ\ 

F  F.  Courts  and  Chambers. 

G.  Nicanor  Gate. 

H.  Fifteen  steps  of  the  Levites. 

1.  House  of  Stoves. 

J.  Steps  of  the  Priests. 

K.  To  Mount  Zion. 

L.  Shushan  Gate,  with  arched   roadway, 

to  Mount  of  Olives  (?). 
M.  To  Bezetha. 


A.  Royal  Tyropoeon  Bridge. 

B  B,  etc.    Terrace,    or   Chel,   outside    of 

which  tradition  places  a  low  inclo- 

sure,  called  the  Soreg. 
C  C  C.  South  Side  Gates,  the  second  on 

the    right    hand    being   the    ancient 

Water  Gate, 
D  D  D.  North  Side  Gates. 
E  E  E  E.  Money  Chests. 


themselves  derived  a  profit,  and  that  an  exorbitant  one  (see  Edersheim^ 
Life  of  Jesus,  I,  370,  371).  Vs.  18,  **what  sign  showest  thou":  the 
Jews  failed  to  perceive  that  such  an  act  carries  its  own  warrant  in  the 
wickedness  of  the  traffic,  and  the  righteous  zeal  of  him  who  puts  an  end 


BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST'S    WORK    IN    JERUSALEM  69 

to  it,  and  demanded  some  supernatural  token  of  authority.  Vs.  19, 
"destroy  this  temple  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up"  :  Some  inter- 
preters understand  Jesus'  words  to  refer  primarily  to  the  temple  as  a  place 
for  the  worship  of  God,  which  was  destroyed  when  and  as  fast  as  it 
was  robbed  of  its  sacred  associations  and  ceased  to  be  a  place  of  true 
worship  of  God.  If  the  Jews,  by  the  continuance  of  their  course  of 
action,  thus  destroy  this  temple,  Jesus  will,  he  declares,  speedily  restore 
it  by  establishing  a  purified  worship  in  its  place.  Cf.  Mark  14:58;  John 
4:  21-24.  But  this  destruction  of  the  temple  through  the  exclusion  from 
it  of  the  true  spirit  of  worship  did  also,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  carry  with  it 
the  death  of  Jesus  at  the  hands  of  those  who  had  already  destroyed  the 
temple;  and  after  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  the  disciples 
interpreted  the  saying  as  referring  to  these  events  (vs.  21).  Other 
interpreters  understand  this  latter  reference  to  his  death  as  the  only  one 
intended  by  Jesus.  Vs.  20,  "forty  and  six  years":  the  temple  was 
begun  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  Herod,  viz.,  20-19  B.  C.  Forty-six 
years  from  that  time  would  bring  us  to  the  passover  of  27  A.  D. 

Mark  11: 15-18  and  parallels  in  Matthew  and  Luke  relate  a  cleansing  of 
the  temple  by  Jesus  in  language  as  similar  to  that  here  employed  as  we  should 
expect  in  independent  accounts  of  the  same  event.  This  fact  naturally  raises 
the  question  whether  there  were  really  two  such  events,  one  at  the  beginning 
and  the  other  at  the  end  of  the  ministry.  Some  scholars  make  one  event 
and  adopt  Mark's  position  ;  others  make  one  and  regard  John's  position  as  the 
true  one ;  others  think  that  Jesus  performed  such  an  act  twice. 

^76.  The  Feasts  of  the  Jews. —  Besides  New  Year's  day,  the  cycle 
of  Jewish  feasts  in  Jesus'  day  included  the  following  each  year  : 

1.  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  and  Unleavened  Bread,  first  month  (Nisan, 
March-April),  14th  to  21st  days. 

2.  The  Feast  of  Acra,  on  the  23d  day  of  the  second  month. 

3.  The  Feast  of  Pentecost,  fifty  days  after  Passover,  viz.,  on  the  6th  day 
of  the  third  month. 

4.  The  Feast  of  Woodcarrying,  on  the  15th  day  of  the  fifth  month. 

5.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  from  the  15th  to  the  22d  of  the  seventh 
month,  the  last  day  of  it  constituting  the  Feast  of  Waterdrawing. 

6.  The  Feast  of  Dedication,  lasting  eight  days  and  beginning  on  the 
25th  day  of  the  eighth  month  (November-December). 

7.  The  Feast  of  Purim,  on  the  14th  day  of  the  twelfth  month. 

Of  these  feasts,  Passover,  Pentecost,  and  Tabernacles  were  celebrated  in 
Jerusalem,  to  which  Jews  came  from  all  quarters  for  that  purpose.  The 
others  required  no  such  journey  to  Jerusalem. 


70  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^77.  Notes  on  §28,  John  2  123— 3:21.  —  Vs.  24,  "But  Jesus  did 
not  trust  himself  unto  them"  :  did  not  take  them  into  his  confidence 
or  intrust  his  work  to  them.  This  striking  statement  that,  though  they 
"trusted"  him,  Jesus  did  not  "trust"  them,  finds  its  explanation  in 
the  fact  that  their  faith,  though  real,  rested  upon  his  signs,  rather  than 
upon  an  appreciation  of  him  or  of  his  teachings.  The  disciples  whom 
Jesus  trusted  believed  on  him  before  he  had  wrought  any  signs  {cf.  §§ 
23,  24). 

Chap.  3:1,  "a  man  of  the  Pharisees"  :  cf.  ^[30,  b.  "A  ruler  of  the 
Jews":  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  that  body  of  seventy  men  who 
constituted  the  highest  court  of  the  Jews,  a  court  which  retained  even 
under  the  Romans  a  considerable  measure  of  authority.  Vs.  2,  "by 
night"  :  probably  through  caution,  not  wishing  to  have  it  known  that 
he  was  disposed  to  accept  Jesus  until  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind. 
"  Rabbi,  we  know,"  etc. :  notice  this  sentence  carefully.  Nicodemus  is 
of  those,  mentioned  in  2  :  23,  whose  conviction,  such  as  it  was,  rested 
on  the  signs.  The  words  "we  know"  reflect  the  fact  that  he  speaks 
for  others  also,  and  suggest  the  possibility  that  he  came  with  overtures 
from  members  of  the  Pharisaic  party  who,  impressed  with  Jesus*  mira- 
cles, were  disposed  to  overlook  the  fact  that  he  had  not  been  educated 
as  a  rabbi,  welcome  him  to  their  number,  and  join  hands  with  him  to 
bring  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  Vs.  3,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  anew,  he 
cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God":  Jesus  answers  Nicodemus'  thought, 
not  his  words.  He  cannot  accept  alliance  with  the  Pharisees  on  any 
such  basis  as  Nicodemus  has  in  mind.  He  tells  him  that  if  one  would 
share  the  kingdom  himself,  he  must  be  born  anew,  that  is,  be  com- 
pletely made  over  morally.  Vs.  4,  "How  can  a  man,"  etc.;  words  of 
utter  perplexity.  Vs.  5,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  spirit"  : 
Nicodemus,  like  the  other  Pharisees  (Luke  7  :  30),  had  probably  rejected 
John's  baptism  (John  did  no  sign).  It  is  to  this,  probably,  that  Jesus 
refers  in  the  word  "water."  Except  a  man  be  morally  transformed,  by 
repentance  suitably  acknowledged,  and  by  the  work  of  God's  spirit,  he 
can  have  no  part  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  Vs.  6,  "That  which  is  born 
of  the  flesh  is  flesh,"  etc.:  The  Pharisees  trusted  to  Abrahamic  descent 
according  to  the  flesh  {cf.  Matt.  3  :  9),  and  counted  this  sufficient  to  give 
them  place  in  the  kingdom.  Jesus  tells  Nicodemus  that  natural  descent 
produces  only  a  natural  man;  fitness  for  God's  kingdom  comes  only 
through  the  power  of  his  spirit.  Vs.  8,  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it 
listeth,"  etc.:  We  must  not  expect  to  understand  how  these  things  take 
place;  even  the  wind  is  mysterious.    Vs.  10,  "Art  thou  the  teacher  of 


BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST'S    WORK    IN    JERUSALEM  7 1 

Israel":  implying  that  Nicodemus  was  a  well-known  rabbi.  Vs.  12, 
"earthly  things"  :  \h.&  fact  that  a  man  must  repent  and  be  born  anew 
spiritually.  "  Heavenly  things  "  :  the  explanation  of  how  these  things 
come  about.  Vs.  13,  "And  no  man  "  etc.:  Nor  can  he  expect  to  learn 
these  things  from  anyone  else,  if  he  refuses  to  learn  them  from  Jesus. 
Vss.  16-21  form  a  new  paragraph,  dealing  with  the  mission  of 
Jesus  in  the  world.  The  dialogue  ceases  with  vs.  15  (perhaps  with  vs. 
12),  the  pronoun  "I"  is  not  used  in  16-21,  and  vss.  16,  18  use  titles 
of  Jesus  which  we  nowhere  find  Jesus  applying  to  himself.  These  facts 
lead  many  to  think  that  vss.  16-21  are  a  summary  by  the  evangelist 
in  his  own  words  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  They  should  be  read  atten- 
tively ;  they  demand  not  so  much  explanation  as  meditation.  Consider 
carefully  what  each  sentence  means  and  the  thought  of  the  whole. 


^78.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  At  what 
season  of  the  year  was  the  passover  celebrated?  (2)*  What 
was  the  special  occasion  of  the  traffic  in  animals  in  the  temple 
courts  at  this  time?  (3)  What  of  the  changing  of  money? 
(4)  In  what  part  of  the  temple  did  this  traffic  take  place  ?  (5)* 
Why  did  Jesus  disapprove  of  it  ?  (6)  Tell  the  story  of  his 
cleansing  of  the  temple.  (7)*  What  spirit  did  Jesus  manifest 
in  this  act?  (8)*  How  far  can  his  conduct  be  taken  as  an 
example  for  us,  and  of  what  is  it  an  example  ?  (9)  Has  his 
conduct  any  bearing  on  the  question  to  what  uses  a  church 
building  may  properly  be  put,  and,  if  so,  what?  (10)  Was 
there  anything  wrong  in  the  demand  of  the  Jews  (vs.  18),  and,  if 
so,  what?      (11)*  Explain  Jesus'  reply  to  the  Jews  (vs.  19). 

(12)*  What  was  the  characteristic  of  the  followers  whom 
Jesus  gained  in  Jerusalem?  (13)  How  did  Jesus  esteem  faith 
which  sprang  from  the  signs?  (14)*  What  was  the  relation 
which  he  desired  to  see  between  signs  and  faith?  (15)*  Who 
was  Nicodemus?  (16)  Tell  the  story  of  his  visit  to  Jesus, 
(17)  In  what  spirit  did  he  come  ?  (18)  What  great  lesson  did 
Jesus  teach  him?  (19)*  What  did  Jesus  mean  by  being  born 
of  water  and  spirit?  (20)  Recite  from  memory,  if  you  can, 
John  3  :  16—21.  (21)*  What  great  truths  are  summed  up  in  this 
paragraph  ? 


72  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^79.  Constructive  Work.     Having  studied  §§  27,  28  as  fully  as  time 
permits,  write  chap,  vii  of  your  "Life  of  Christ." 
^80.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  origin  and  meaning  of  the  passover  celebration  ;  the  man- 
ner of  its  observance  in  Jesus'  day. 

Exod.  12  : 1-51  ;  13  :  3-I0  ;  23  :  14-19  ;  34  :  18-26  ;  Edersheim,  Temple,  chap,  xii ; 
Bible  Dictionaries,  art.  "  Passover." 

2.  The  value  of  John  2  :  20  for  the  chronology  of  Jesus'  life. 
Andrews,  Life  of  Our  Lord,  pp.  5,  6  ;  art.  "  Chronology  "  in  Hastings'  Diet.  Bib. 

3.  The  cleansings  of  the  temple :  were  there  two  or  one  ?  and,  if 
one,  when  did  it  occur  ?  Compare  the  account  of  John  with  that  in 
Mark  11  :  15-18;  and  consult  — 

Andrews,  Life  of  Our  Lord,  pp.  167-70;  Plummer,  Com.  on  Luke,  19:46; 
DoDS,  Com.  on  fohn,  2  :  20  ;  Edersheim,  Life  of  fesus.  Vol.  I,  pp.  364-74  ;  Vol.  II, 
pp.  377  ff.;  Sanday,  art.  "Jesus  Christ,"  in  Hastings'  Diet.  Bib.,  Vol.  II,  p.  613; 
Weiss,  Life  of  Christ,  Vol.  II,  pp.  3-17. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

JESUS    IN    JUDEA    AND    SAMARIA. 

§  29.  Christ  baptizing  in  Judea.  John  3 :  22. 

[John  4: 1,  2.] 
§30.  John's  testimony  to  Christ  at  JEnon. 

John  3 :  23-36; 
§31.  The  departure  from  Judea. 

[Matt.  4  :  12.]        [Mark  i  :  14.]  John  4  : 1-3. 

§  32.  Discourse  with  the  woman  of  Samaria. 

John  4 : 4-26. 
§  33.  The  gospel  in  Sychar. 

John  4 :  27-42. 

^81.  Notes  on  §29,  John  3:22  [4:1,  2]. —  This  is  the  only  period 
at  which  we  know  of  Jesus'  baptizing,  even  by  the  hand  of  his  disciples. 
Apparently  finding  it  inexpedient  to  remain  longer  in  Jerusalem,  and 
not  wishing  to  begin  an  independent  movement  while  John  was  still 
at  work,  he  attaches  himself  and  his  disciples  to  John's  work,  and 
administers  through  them  what  was  practically  the  baptism  of  John. 
Those  who,  holding  that  there  was  but  one  cleansing  of  the  temple, 
transfer  both  §§27  and  28  to  the  last  passover,  connect  3:22  directly 
with  2:  12.  In  this  case  Jesus  undertakes  no  independent  wov\  vfh.\\Q 
John  is  still  at  liberty. 


JESUS    IN    JUDEA    AND    SAMARIA  73 

^82.  Notes  on  §30,  John  3:  23-36. —  "yEnon  near  to  Salim":  many 
suggestions  have  been  made  respecting  the  location  of  these  places,  but 
none  more  probable  than  that  of  Robinson,  confirmed  by  Professor 
W.  A.  Stevens,  that  the  Salem  is  that  which  lies  about  four  miles  east 
of  Shechem,  and  that  the  ^non  —  the  word  means  "springs" — refers 
to  the  springs  in  that  region  (see  the  map).  Thus  John  seems  to  have 
sought  to  reach  all  parts  of  the  country,  baptizing  first  in  Judea,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Jerusalem,  then  at  Bethany  beyond  Jordan,  a  place  midway 
between  the  two  parts  of  Herod's  tetrarchy,  Galilee  and  Perea,  and 
finally  in  Samaria.  Tha,t  he  would  be  willing  to  preach  to  Samaritans 
is  suggested  by  Matt.  3  :  9.  Vs.  28,  "  I  am  not  the  Christ ":  cf.  i  :  20. 
It  is  in  this  honest,  unassuming  attitude  and  spirit  that  John  always 
appears,  especially  in  this  gospel.  Vs.  29,  *'  the  friend  of  the  bride- 
groom": one  who  was  employed  to  ask  the  hand  of  the  bride  and 
arrange  the  marriage.  This  work  of  bringing  the  people  of  the  Mes- 
siah to  him  was  what  John  conceived  to  be  his  task. 

Vss.  31-36  are  even  more  clearly  the  evangelist's  words  than  vss. 
16—21.  The  language  and  style  are  so  unlike  anything  of  the  Baptist's, 
and  so  wholly  like  those  of  the  evangelist,  that  we  can  only  ascribe 
them  to  the  latter.  The  Baptist's  statement  of  Jesus'  superiority  to 
him  leads  the  evangelist  to  dwell  upon  the  thought  of  his  superiority 
to  all  earthly  beings. 

^  83.  Notes  on  §31,  [Matt.  4: 12;  Mark  i  :  14];  John  4  :  1-3. — The  state- 
ment of  the  fourth  gospel  implies  as  the  reasi-n  for  Jesus'  leaving  Judea  that 
his  work  was  giving  occasion  to  comparisons  between  his  success  and  that  of 
John,  to  the  disparagement  of  John.  John  was,  therefore,  still  at  work.  The 
synoptic  account  (Mark  i  :  14  ;  Matt.  4:  12),  on  the  other  hand,  dates  the 
beginning  of  Jesus'  Galilean  ministry  from  the  imprisonment  of  John.  A 
wholly  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  difference  cannot  perhaps  be  given. 
The  probability  is  that  Jesus  withdrew  from  Judea,  as  John  states,  but  delayed 
the  actual  beginning  of  work  in  Galilee  till  John's  work  should  be  entirely 
over.  This  led  his  disciples  to  reckon  the  ministry  in  Galilee  from  the  impris^  ■ 
onment  of  John  (Mark  1:14),  and  at  length  to  the  statement  of  Matt.  4:12. 
Of  this  period  of  retirement  m  Galilee  there  is  perhaps  a  reflection  in  the  fact 
that  when  he  begins  work  he  calls  again  from  their  business  (Mark  i  :  16-20) 
the  same  men  who  had  previously  accompanied  him  in  Judea. 

^84.  Notes  on  §32,  John  4:4-26. — This  most  interesting  section 
demands  careful,  thoughtful  reading,  but  calls  for  comparatively  little 
explanation.  The  student  should  read  it  through,  seeking  to  gain  a 
clear  impression  of  the  whole  incident,  and  asking  himself  continually 
whether  he  sees  for  himself  the  whole  scene  and  grasps  the  thought 


74 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


which  each  sentence  represented  in  the  mind  of  the  speaker.  Vs.  4, 
"  Samaria":  the  district,  not  the  city.  The  direct  road  from  Judea  to 
Galilee  (see  map)  passes  through  Samaria.  Very  scrupulous  Jews  went 
around  through  Perea.  Vs.  5,  "  a  city  of  Samaria,  called  Sychar," 
etc.:  The  places  mentioned  in  this  verse  and  the  following  are  identi- 
fied beyond  all  doubt.  Jacob's  well  still  exists,  and  bears  the  name 
Bir  Yakub.     It  is  situated  in  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  Gerizim,  on  the 


ENTRANCE  TO  THE  BUILDING  OVER  JACOB'S  WELL 

right  hand  of  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Galilee,  which  near  this  point 
divides,  one  branch  bending  west  to  pass  between  Ebal  and  Gerizim. 
Directly  across  the  valley,  half  a  mile  northeast,  is  the  village  of  'Askar; 
a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  is  Nablus,  the  ancient  Sechem  or  Sychem. 
'Askar  is  undoubtedly  the  modern  name  of  Sychar.  Vs.  6,  "  wearied 
with  his  journey":  the  Jesus  of  the  gospels,  the  fourth  included,  is  a 
true  man,  with  a  man's  physical  limitations.  The  divine  in  him  does 
not  save  him  from  human  weariness.  "About  the  sixth  hour":  at 
midday.  Vs.  9,  "  For  Jews  have  no  dealings,"  etc.:  a  remark  of  the 
evangelist    expressing    accurately  the    long-lived    hatred  of   the  two 


JESUS    IN    JUDEA    AND    SAMARIA  75 

neighboring  peoples.  Vs.  lo,  "  If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,"  etc.: 
Jesus  seizes  the  opportunity  to  turn  the  woman's  thought  to  more 
important  things  than  water,  or  the  relations  of  the  Jews  and  Samari- 
tans. His  language  is  intentionally  enigmatic,  to  arrest  her  attention. 
Vs.  1 6,  "go  call  thy  husband"  :  words  intended  to  direct  the  thought 
of  the  woman  to  her  moral  need,  of  which  vs.  15  shows  she  had  as  yet 
only  the  dimmest,  if  any,  apprehension.  Vs.  18,  "for  thou  hast  had 
five  husbands  "  :  a  striking  instance  of  Jesus'  ability  to  read  the  human 
heart  {cf.  John  2  :  24,  25).  Vs.  20,  "  our  fathers  worshiped  in  this  moun- 
tain," etc.:  The  woman  turns  the  conversation  to  religious  controversy, 
perhaps,  to  parry  the  force  of  Jesus'  implied  accusation,  perhaps  with  the 
thought  that  if  she  is  to  begin  to  live  a  religious  life  it  is  needful  to 
learn  from  this  prophet  where  and  how  she  should  worship  God.  In 
either  case  Jesus  avails  himself  of  her  question  to  teach  her  the  deepest 
things  of  religion.  Vss.  21-24,  "Woman,  believe  me,"  etc.:  On  the 
question  or  place  of  worship  Jesus  will  not  take  sides ;  all  distinctions 
of  this  sort  must  cease.  But  the  worship  of  the  Samaritan  is  faulty,  that 
of  the  Jews  superior,  because  the  latter  have  a  truer  conception  of  God 
than  the  former  (vs.  22).  "God  is  a  spirit"  :  an  intelligent,  spiritual 
being.  And  because  this  is  so,  worship  cannot  consist  in  appeasing  or 
controlling  God  by  sacrifices  or  other  outward  acts  done  by  those  who 
yield  him  no  true  reverence  or  love.  Only  they  who  *'  in  spirit  and  in 
truth  "  love  him  as  Father  offer  to  him,  who  is  a  spirit,  acceptable  wor- 
ship. Vs.  25,  "  I  know  that  Messiah  cometh  "  :  cf.  ^85.  Vs.  26,  "I 
that  speak  unto  thee  am  he  "  :  a  declarat-ion  Jesus  had  not  made  to  the 
Jews  in  Jerusalem,  or  to  his  disciples  as  yet.  But  in  this  disclosure  of 
himself  Jesus  sets  himself  forth  less  as  a  king  than  as  a  prophet  — 
one  who  tells  men  truth  concerning  God  and  human  conduct.  Notice 
the  woman's  conception  of  the  Messiah  :  one  who  would  tell  all  the 
needful  truths  of  religion  (vs.  25),  and  cf.  ^f  85. 

^85.  The  Messianic  Hope  of  Samaritans. —  That  the  Samaritans, 
like  the  Jews,  expected  God  would  send  some  specially  appointed 
deliverer  to  their  people  is  beyond  question,  but  so  scanty  are  the 
data  at  hand  that  it  is  impossible  to  describe  their  hope  in  detail. 
According  to  a  hymn  of  the  fourteenth  century,  as  well  as  later 
statements,  they  expected  the  Messiah  to  be  a  prophet  —  the  "Con- 
verter." This  agrees  remarkably  with  the  words  of  the  woman,  as 
well  as  with  the  reply  of  Jesus  (John  4:25,  26),  but  it  is  hardly  possible 
to  speak  confidently  on  the  basis  of  such  late  evidence. 


76  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^86.  Notes  on  §33,  John  4:27-42. — Vs.  27,  "  marveled  that  he 
was  speaking  with  a  woman  "  :  It  being  generally  regarded  as  improper 
for  a  rabbi  to  talk  with  a  woman.  This  surprise  could  have  been  felt  by 
the  disciples  only  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry,  since  afterward  he 
often  talked  with  women.  Vs.  29,  "  Can  this  be  the  Christ " :  this 
cannot  be  the  Christ,  can  it  ?  The  woman  skilfully  avoids  rousing  oppo- 
sition by  not  implying  that  he  is  the  Messiah.  Vs.  32,  "  I  have  meat  *  : 
food.  Jesus  means  that  he  is  so  absorbed  with  his  work  that  he  has 
no  sense  of  hunger.  Notice  how  intensely  he  had  thrown  himself  into 
the  task  of  reaching  and  helping  this  woman. 

Vss.  35-38.  Jesus,  impressed  with  the  openness  of  mind  of  the 
Samaritan  woman,  and  looking  for  a  speedy  acceptance  of  himself  by 
the  Samaritans,  joyfully  calls  the  attention  of  the  disciples  to  the 
harvest  waiting  for  them,  a  harvest  for  which  he,  not  they,  had  sown 
the  seed,  and  which  was  following  so  quickly  upon  the  sowing  that 
sower  and  reaper  could  rejoice  together. 

Vss.  39—42.  The  hopes  of  Jesus  were  realized,  and  many  believed  on 
him,  not  because  of  signs,  but  first  of  all  on  the  testimony  of  the 
woman,  and  then  from  having  seen  and  heard  Jesus  himself.  Notice 
the  resemblance  to  the  case  of  the  first  disciples  (John  i  :  35-51),  and 
the  contrast  to  the  situation  in  Jerusalem  (2  :  13-25). 

^87.  The  Characteristics  and  Results  of  the  Judean  Ministry. — 
The  act  of  Jesus  in  cleansing  the  temple  was  one  which,  though  not 
involving  a  Messianic  claim  —  any  Jew  who  had  the  righteous  zeal  and 
the  needed  courage  could  have  done  it  —  would  have  naturally  led 
on,  if  it  had  been  rightly  received,  to  a  fuller  declaration  of  himself 
and  a  career  as  the  accepted  Messiah.  The  hostile  attitude  of  the 
Jews  checks  any  such  movement  at  the  outset,  and  reveals  to  Jesus  the 
probable  future  both  of  himself  and  of  the  nation.  Though  many 
believed  on  him  in  Jerusalem,  his  work  there  was  a  failure,  both  in 
that  the  leaders  set  themselves  against  him,  and  that  those  who 
accepted  him  did  so  unintelligently,  and  were  not  material  with  which 
to  lay  foundations.  This  failure  is  itself  in  the  end  to  bring  about 
success,  but  only  through  his  death  and  the  downfall  of  Judaism.' 

Leaving  Jerusalem,  he  takes  up  in  Judea,  with  the  little  band  of 
disciples  already  gathered  (John   i  :  35-51),  a  work   as  the  assistant 

^  This  is  written  on  the  view  that  this  cleansing  of  the  temple  really  belongs  here 
in  time.  If  in  fact  the  cleasing  occurred  at  the  end  of  the  ministry,  it  has  a  thoroughly 
Messianic  significance,  and  the  Judean  ministry  would  probably  begin  with  John 
3  :  22,  which  in  that  case  refers  to  a  journey  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  joining  on 
to  2  :  12. 


JESUS    IN    JUDEA    AND    SAMARIA  JJ 

of  John.  When  its  very  success  compels  him  to  desist  lest  he  come 
into  competition  with  John  and  hinder  him,  he  leaves  Judea  also. 
Passing  through  Samaria,  he  wins  many  of  the  Samaritans  to  faith  in 
him,  not  by  signs,  but  by  his  personality  and  teaching.  Reaching 
Galilee,  he  perhaps  retires  for  a  little  time,  until  the  imprisonment 
of  John  leaves  the  way  open  for  him  to  inaugurate  an  independent 
work. 

The  whole  period  is  thus,  in  a  sense,  one  of  tentative  work  and 
patient  waiting. 


^88.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.  —  (i)  When  did 
Jesus  engage  in  the  work  of  baptizing  (by  the  hands  of  his  dis- 
ciples) ?  (2)  What  was  the  relation  of  this  work  to  that  of 
John  the  Baptist  ? 

(3)  Where  was  John  baptizing  at  this  time?  (4)*  What  is 
the  probable  location  of  ^Enon  ?  (5)*  What  hint  is  there  in 
this  of  John's  plan  of  work?  (6)  What  word  did  John's  dis- 
ciples bring  him  here?  (7)  What  was  his  reply?  (8)*  What 
spirit  and  attitude  toward  Jesus  does  John  exhibit  in  every  inci- 
dent recorded  of  him  in  this  gospel?  (9)  Is  there  any  danger 
that  any  of  Jesus'  followers  today  should  exhibit  a  different 
spirit  ?     How  ? 

(10)*  Where  are  Sychar  and  Jacob's  well?  (11)  What  was 
the  occasion  of  Jesus'  passing  through  this  region?  (12)  What 
were  the  relations  of  the  Jews  and  Samaritans  ?  (13)  What  were 
the  ideas  of  the  Samaritans  about  the  Messiah?  (14)  Tell  the 
story  of  Jesus'  conversation  with  the  woman  whom  he  met  at  the 
well.  (15)*  What  elements  of  Jesus'  character  are  illustrated  in 
this  incident  ?  (16)  Is  he  in  all  these  an  example  for  us  ?  (17) 
What  was  the  water  which  Jesus  wished  to  give  to  the  woman  ? 
(18)  What  made  it  possible  for  Jesus  to  make  to  this  woman 
the  announcement  of  vs.  26?  (19)  What  did  it  mean?  (20)* 
What  two  or  three  great  truths  does  Jesus  teach  in  this  conver- 
sation ? 

(21)  Relate  the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  his  disciples 
on  their  return  from  the  village  (John  4:  27-42).  (22)  What 
do  vss.    32   and    34   mean?     (23)*  What   does   vs.   35   mean? 


78  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(24)*  What  two  great  lessons  are  there  for  us  to  learn  from  the 
words  of  Jesus  in  this  section  ?  (25)  What  was  the  effect  of  the 
woman's  testimony  in  the  city?  (26)*  What  was  the  result  of 
Jesus'  stay  in  the  city  ?  (27)  In  what  respects  was  the  conduct 
of  the  people  of  Sychar  different  from  that  of  those  in  Jerusalem  ? 
(28)*  In  what  sense  and  to  what  extent  was  Jesus'  work  in  this 
period  a  failure?  (29)*  In  what  sense  and  to  what  extent  was 
it  successful  ? 

^89.  Constructive  Work. — The  writing  of  chap,  viii  of  your  "Life 
of  Christ." 

^90.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  mutual  relations  of  Jesus  and  John  in  this  period,  and  the 
attitude  of  each  toward  the  other. 

2.  The  location  of  the  places  mentioned  by  John,  chaps.  3,  4. 

3.  The  Samaritans, 

Bible  Dictionaries,  arts.  "Samaria"  and  " Samaritans ;"  Robinson,  Biblical 
Researches,  Vol.  II,  pp.  273-301  ;  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  128-33  ;  Schurer,/<?ww/^  People,  Div. 
II,  Vol.  I,  pp.  5-8 ;  Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus,  Vol.  I,  pp.  396  £f.;  Mathews,  New 
Testament  Times,  p.  62. 


Part  IV. 
FIRST  PERIOD   OF  THE   GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM  THE  RETURN  TO  GALILEE  UNTIL  THE  CHOOSING  OF  THE 

TWELVE. 


h}^ 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST's    WORK    IN    GALILEE. 

§34.  Imprisonment  of   John  the  Baptist  and  beginning  of  Christ's 
Galilean  ministry. 

[Matt.  14  :  3-5.1      [Mark  6  :  17,  18.]      Luke  3  :  19,  20. 
Matt.  4  :  12,  17.      Mark  i  :  14,  15.       Luke  4  :  14,  15.      John  4  : 43-45. 

§35.  The  nobleman's  son.  John  4 : 46-54.**-^ 

§36.  First  rejection  at  Nazareth.  Luke  4  :  16-30. 

§37.  Removal  to  Capernaum. 

Matt.  4:  [13-16].  [Luke  4  :31a.]         •  <P^ 

§38.  The  call  of  the  Four.  yj    "^  I 

Matt.  4 :  18-22.      Mark  i :  16-20.       Luke  5:1-11  ^  ' 

§  39.  A  day  of  miracles  in  Capernaum. 

Matt.  8  :  14-17.      Mark  i :  21-34.         Luke  4  :  31-41. 

§40.  First  preaching  tour  in  Galilee. 

[Matt.  4  :  23.]  Mark  i  :  35-45.         Luke  4  :  42-44. 

Matt.  8  :  2-4.  Luke  5  :  12-16. 

^91.  Notes  on  §34,  Mark  1:14,15.  —  Vs.  14,  "After  John  was 
delivered  up  ":  arrested  and  imprisoned.  This  public  appearance  of 
Jesus  is  an  evidence  of  heroism,  since  there  was  every  likelihood  that 
he  would  share  the  fate  of  John.  "Galilee":  see  ^94.  "Preaching 
the  gospel  of  God  ":  The  content  of  this  good  news  about  God  is  to  be 
seen  in  vs.  15.  Note  that  Jesus  was  alone.  His  work  had  been  inter- 
rupted for  a  while,  and  his  disciples  had  returned  to  their  occupations. 
Vs.  15,  "The  time  is  fulfilled":  viz.,  that  which  was  needful  to  prepare 
for  the  fulfilment  of  the  hopes  of  God's  people  for  deliverance  through 
divine  interposition.  Jesus  apparently  began  his  work  just  as  John  had 
begun  his,  except  for  the  addition  of  "believe  in  the  gospeL"     With 

79 


80  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

John  judgment  was  the  great  element  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  ; 
with  Jesus,  deliverance.     And  so  it  could  bring  joy. 

^92.  Notes  on  §34,  Matt.  4:12,  17. — Vs.  12,  "Now  when  he 
heard  that  John  was  delivered  up":  see  T[  83.  On  vss.  13-16  see 
198. 

1  93.  Notes  on  §  34,  Luke  3  :  19,  20 ;  4  :  14,  15.  —  3-^9^  "  Herod  the 
tetrarch":  Herod  Antipas.  See  the  account  of  John's  arrest  in  Mark 
6:17,  18,  where  it  is  related  in  connection  with  his  death.  There  is 
also  an  account  in  Josephus,  Antiquities,  xviii,  5,  2.  Vs.  4:15,  "He 
taught  in  their  synagogues":  would  very  possibly  imply  {cf,  also  Luke 
4:  16)  that  before  his  Messianic  ministry  Jesus  had  been  recognized  as 
one  fitted  to  read  and  speak  in  the  synagogues. 

1  94.  Galilee. — ^The  district  bounded  roughly  by  the  Jordan,  Sama- 
ria, (that  is,  the  southern  side  of  Esdraelon),  and  Phoenicia  belonged 
originally  to  the  Jews,  but  had  remained  largely  in  the  hands  of  the 
heathen  from  the  fall  of  the  Northern  Kingdom  until  the  times  of  the 
Maccabees.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Maccabean  revolt  it  contained 
only  a  few  Jews,  and  these  were  removed  by  Judas  and  Simon  to 
Judea  for  safety  (163  B.  C).  During  the  course  of  the  second  century 
before  Christ,  however,  the  territory  was  gradually  conquered  and 
colonized  by  the  Jewish  kings.  In  the  time  of  Jesus,  therefore,  the 
Jews  had  really  been  in  Galilee  in  recent  times  only  about  as  long  as 
Americans  have  been  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  The  fact  that  they 
were  in  a  measure  colonists  doubtless  in  part  accounts  for  the  vigor 
of  the  Galileans  as  described  by  Josephus  (Jewish  War,  iii,  3,  1-3). 
According  to  Josephus,  Galilee  had  204  towns  and  cities.  This  would 
make  the  population  very  dense,  a  fact  corroborated  by  the  ruins,  as 
well  as  by  existing  villages  in  the  land.  It  is  impossible  to  say  just 
what  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  were  Gentiles,  but 
probably  it  was  not  small. 

The  land  contained  only  about  1,600  square  miles,  and,  exclusive  of 
the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  was  regarded  as  consisting  of  two  parts  — 
Upper  Galilee,  which  was  somewhat  mountainous,  and  Lower  Galilee, 
which,  though  hilly,  was  full  of  broad  valleys.  Both  regions  were 
very  fertile,  but  most  fertile  of  all  was  the  wonderful  little  Plain  of 
Gennesaret,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  This  plain, 
though  only  three  miles  long  by  one  wide,  was  in  the  time  of  Jesus 
astonishingly  productive.  Josephus  [Jewish  War,  iii,  10,  8)  describes 
it  as  an  "ambition  of  nature,"  in  which  all  manner  of  trees  flourished 
and  fruit  ripened  throughout  the  year. 


BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST  S    WORK    IN    GALILEE 


8l 


In  government  Galilee  was  one  of  the  numerous  petty  native  states 
not  yet  taken  up  into  the  Roman  empire,  but  by  no  means  independent. 
Its  ruler  was  Herod  Antipas,  son  of  Herod  I.,  who  had  the  title  of 
tetrarch.  (Originally  this  word  meant  "the  governor  of  a  fourth  of 
a  kingdom,"  but  this  meaning  had  long  been  lost,  and  it  was  simply  a 
title  less  honorable  than  that  of   "  king.")     Herod  Antipas  maintained 


KHAN  MINYEH  AND  THE  PLAIN  OF  GENNESARET 

his  own  army,  castles,  tax  collectors,  and  governed  his  uneasy  subjects, 
on  the  whole,  very  well. 

•"95.  The  Sea  of  Galilee.— This  beautiful  lake  lies  682  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  ocean,  and  for  that  reason  possesses  an  almost  tropi- 
cal climate,  and  is  also  liable  to  sudden  storms.  It  is  thirteen  miles 
long  and  eight  wide,  but  its  shape  is  irregular,  resembling  that  of  a 
harp.  Its  waters  are  supplied  by  the  Jordan,  and  are  delightfully  fresh 
and  abound  in  fish.  In  the  time  of  Jesus  there  were  upon  its  shores 
at  least  nine  flourishing  towns,  chief  among  which  was  the  new  city 
founded  by  Herod  Antipas,  Tiberias.  It  was  thus  the  center  of  a 
great  population — many  of  whom  were  fishermen  — and  was  therefore 
admirably  adapted  for  the  work  of  evangelization. 


82  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

If  96.  Notes  on  §35,  John  4  :  46-54- — Vs.  46.  Cana  (see  ^71)  was 
about  twenty-two  miles  from  Capernaum.  *'  Nobleman":  rather,  official, 
/.<?.,  of  the  government  of  Herod  Antipas.  Vs.  48,  "Except  ye  see 
signs  and  wonders,"  etc.:  Jesus  did  not  wish  to  be  known  simply  as  a 
worker  of  miracles.  The  faith  that  rested  exclusively  on  miracles  was 
not  regarded  by  Jesus  as  thoroughly  trustworthy.  Cf.  John  2:11,  23, 
24.  Vs.  52,  "seventh  hour":  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  by  Jewish 
reckoning. 

^97.  Notes  on  §36,  Luke  4: 16-30  [see also  §  62,  Matt.  13  :  54-58  ;  Mark 
6: 1-6^].  Vs.  16,  Nazareth  :  T[  21.  As  his  custom  was":  The  reference 
may  be  to  the  h'abit  either  of  his  public  ministry  or  of  his  earlier  life. 
Vs.  17,  "the  book  of  the  prophet  Isaiah":  In  the  synagogue  service 
it  was  customary  to  read  both  from  the  books  of  Moses  (the  law)  and 
also  from  the  prophets.  The  passage  read  by  Jesus  is  Isa.  61:1,  2. 
"Book"'  more  properly,  roll.  Vs.  20,  "sat  down":  the  rabbis  lectured 
sitting.  Vs.  21.  In  his  reply  to  the  question  of  John  the  Baptist 
(Matt.  II  :  4,  5;  Luke  7  :  22)  Jesus  makes  use  of  the  same  Scripture. 
It  here  describes  his  conception  of  the  Messianic  work  upon  which  he 
was  entering.  Vs.  22,  "wondered  at  the  words  of  grace":  /.  e.,  those 
in  which  Jesus  had  set  forth  the  new  era.  "Is  not  this  Joseph's 
son?":  Mark  and  Matthew  add  that  his  old  friends  recalled  that  he 
and  his  father  had  been  carpenters,  and  that  his  brothers  and  sisters 
lived  in  the  city.  They  could  not  see,  therefore,  either  how  he  could 
be  a  great  teacher  or  how  he  could  work  miracles.  Thus  does 
familiarity  breed  contempt  ;  a  prophet  is  without  honor  in  his  own 
country.  Vs.  23,  "Physician,  heal  thyself":  that  is,  do  as  much 
for  your  own  town  as  you  do  for  other  towns.  Vss.  25-27.  The 
point  in  each  of  the  references  to  Old  Testament  stories  (i  Kings 
17:1-16;  2  Kings  5:1-14)  is  that,  though  there  was  plenty  of 
opportunity  for  a  prophet  to  do  good  in  his  own  country  and  to 
his  own  countrymen,  he  overlooked  them  and  helped  foreigners. 
Divine  gifts  are  distributed  on  some  other  principle  than  local 
favoritism.  Vs.  28.  Jesus'  refusal  to  gratify  their  desire  for  wonders 
was  due  to  their  lack  of  faith  (Matt.  13  :  58 ;  Mark  6  :  5),  but  it  roused 
them  to  attempt  murder.  Vs.  29, "  brow  of  the  hill "  :  It  is  difficult  in  Naza- 
reth today  to  pick  out  the  exact  spot,  but  a  very  probable  site  is  a  cliff 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  town.  The  traditional  site  is  a  long  distance 
from  the  city.  It  may  possibly  be,  however,  that  the  modern  town  is 
not  exactly  in  the  same  location  as  the  ancient.  Vs.  30.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  Jesus  escaped  miraculously. 


BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST'S    WORK    IN    GALILEE  83 

Some  authorities  regard  Luke  as  treating  of  a  different  rejection  in  Naza- 
reth from  that  mentioned  by  Matthew  and  Mark.  A  careful  comparison  of 
the  accounts  makes  two  such  rejections  improbable.  If  there  was  but  one,  it 
was  probably  at  the  time  accorded  it  by  Mark,  as  Luke  refers  to  the  wonder- 
ful things  which  Jesus  had  done  in  Capernaum  (vs.  23),  of  which  we  have  no 
record  previous  to  the  point  at  which  Luke's  narrative  is  inserted.  These 
were  probably  such  cures  as  those  recorded  in  Mark  1:21-34  and  Luke 
4:31-41. 

^98.  Notes  on  §  37,  Matt.  4:13-16. — Vs.  13,  "Leaving  Nazareth": 
Nazareth  (^[21)  was  as  unfitted  to  be  the  center  of  evangelization  as 
Capernaum  was  adapted  to  such  work.  "  Capernaum  "  :  The  site  of  this 
city,  so  central  in  the  work  of  Jesus,  is  not  definitely  known.  By  some 
it  is  identified  with  Tell  Hum,  about  two  miles  from  the  Jordan,  where 
there  are  (or  were,  for  they  have  been  buried  by  the  monks  who  now  own 
the  land)  considerable  ruins.  By  most  recent  scholars,  however,  it  is 
identified  with  ruins  at  Khan  Minyeh,  just  at  the  northern  end  of  the 
Plain  of  Gennesaret,  perhaps  two  miles  west  of  Tell  Hum.  If  this 
identification  be  correct,  Capernaum  was  beati fully  situated  on  a  bold 
cliff  that  runs  out  into  the  lake,  midway  between  a  white  beach  on  the 
east  and  the  Plain  of  Gennesaret  on  the  southwest.  At  the  foot  of  the 
cliff,  not  far  from  the  lake,  is  a  large  spring,  while  the  ruins  of  a  Roman 
aqueduct  show  that  water  was  once  brought  from  another  spring  at  a 
considerable  distance  to  the  northeast  of  the  town.  If  at  Khan 
Minyeh,  Capernaum  was  at  the  foot  of  a  valley  through  which  ran  a 
very  important  road  north. 

In  favor  of  Tell  Hum  :  THOMSON,  The  Land  and  the  Book,  Central  Palestine,  pp. 
416-30;  Wilson,  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  pp.  269  f . ;  Andrews,  Life  of  Our 
Lord,  pp.  221 -^g.  For  arguments  for  Khan  Minyeh  as  well  as  general  discussion: 
Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,  p.  456 ;  Merrill,  in  Biblical 
World,  March,  1898;  Robinson,  ^zMVa/  Researches,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  347-58. 

^99.  Notes  on  §38,  Mark  1:16-20. — Vs.  16,  "Sea  of  Galilee": 
^f'  If  95-  "Simon  and  Andrew":  they  had  already  been  with  Jesus, 
but  had  apparently  returned  to  their  fishing  after  coming  from  Judea. 
Men  casting  the  net —  not  the  great  seine  of  vs.  19  —  may  still  be  seen 
wading  about  in  the  shallow  waters  of  the  lake.  Vss.  17,  18.  The  call 
of  Jesus  and  the  immediate  obedience  of  the  disciples  imply  a  previous 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  latter,  not  only  of  Jesus,  but  of  his  work. 
See  John  1:29-51.  This  call  of  Jesus  is  rather  a  recall  to  service, 
now  freed  from  any  danger  of  interfering  with  the  mission  of  John  the 
Baptist.  Note  also  that  the  fishermen  are  to  remain  fishermen — but 
of  men.     Vss.  19,  20.     Apparently  Zebedee  had  some  little  property 


84  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(rote  the  boat,  hired  men,  and  seine).     So  far  is  it  from  being  true 
that  Jesus  chose  his  disciples  from  the  very  poorest  classes. 

^  ICO.  Notes  on  §  38,  Luke  5  :  i-ii. — At  this  point  Luke  substitutes 
for  the  narrative  of  Mark  material  he  has  gained  from  another  source. 
The  chief  points  of  difference  are  readily  noted.  Vss.  4,  5.  Note  the 
faith  of  Peter.  Vs.  8,  "Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man": 
These  words  express  both  Peter's  humility  and  his  imperfect  concep- 
tion of  Jesus.  Vs.  10.  The  saying  of  Jesus,  though  varying  in  its 
words,  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  in  Mark  1:17. 

^  loi.  Notes  on  §  39,  Mark  i  :  21-34. — Vs.  22,  "  He  taught  them  as 
having  authority,"  etc.:  The  scribes  or  rabbis  were  professional 
teachers  of  the  law,  and  were  in  the  habit  of  quoting  the  opinions  of 
many  of  their  predecessors,  and  their  teaching,  therefore,  impressed 
their  hearers  as  discussion  rather  than  truth.  With  Jesus  the  precise 
opposite  was  true.  He  did  not  argue,  but  presented  his  doctrine, 
unsupported,  as  eternal  truth.  Vs.  23,  "a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit": 
Demoniacs  are  not  described  in  the  New  Testament  either  as  simply 
sick  men  or  as  ordinary  cases  of  insanity.  Their  condition  resembles 
that  of  persons  suffering  from  what  psychologists  term  "diseases  of 
personality,"  "alterations  in  personality,"  "double  consciousness." 
The  unfortunate  men  themselves  certainly  thought  they  were  under 
the  control  of  some  other  personality,  from  which  they  escaped  when 
they  were  healed.  There  is  no  evidence  that  "  the  demonized  "  had 
been  brought  into  their  sad  condition  through  leading  a  wicked  life; 
nor  does  Jesus  assume  or  imply  this. 

For  a  discussion  of  a  belief  in  demoniacal  possession  among  the  Chinese  see 
Nevius,  Demon  Possessions  and  Allied  Themes.  For  a  discussion  of  what  seem  the 
nearest  parallels  to  the  phenomenon  in  the  light  of  psychological  investigations  see 
IkMS.'S,,  Psychology  (shorter  course),  pp.  205-14;  Binet,  Alterations  of  Personality, 
pp.  325-56.  See  also  Weiss,  Life  ofChrist,Wo\.  II,  p.  76-88  ;  and  on  Jewish  Ideas  of 
the  relation  of  demons  of  disease,  Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus,  Vol.  I,  pp.  479  ff. ; 
Vol.  II,  App.  xvi. 

Vs.  24.  The  words  of  the  demonized  man  were  probably  a  correct 
reading  of  the  thought  of  Jesus  concerning  himself.  "Us  .  .  .  .  I  "  : 
Note  the  changes  in  the  personal  pronoun.  "To  destroy  us":  see 
Matt.  8:29;  Luke  8:31.  "The  Holy  One  of  God":  that  is,  the 
Christ.  Cf.  John  6  :  69.  Vs.  27,  "a  new  teaching":  seen  to  be  new 
because  of  its  authority.  Vs.  29,  "the  house  of  Simon  and  Andrew"  : 
This  was  probably  the  home  of  Jesus  during  the  remainder  of  his  work 
in  Galilee.     Vs.  30,  "sick  of  a  fever":  a  disease  common  in  the  hot 


BEGINNING    OF    CHRIST's    WORK    IN    GALILEE  8$ 

region  of  the  lake.  Vs.  34,  "suffered  not  the  demons  to  speak": 
Here,  as  in  the  synagogue,  Jesus  did  not  wish  testimony  from  such 
persons ;  but  more  than  that,  he  did  not  wish  to  be  regarded  as  the 
Christ  before  he  had  clearly  set  forth  his  conception  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  and  his  own  mission. 

T[  102.  Notes  on  §39,  Matt.  8:  14-17. — Vs.  17,  "That  it  might  be 
fulfilled,"  etc.:  another  instance  in  which  the  gospel  according  to 
Matthew  interprets  the  life  of  Jesus  in  the  light  of  prophecy.  Cf.\  39. 
^  103.  Notes  on  §  40,  Mark  i :  35-45. — Vs.  38.  Note  the  earnestness 
and  tireless  energy  <5f  Jesus.  "  For  to  this  end  came  I  forth  ":  /.  <-., 
from  Capernaum.  Cf.  vs.  35.  No  town  could  monopolize  the  work 
of  Jesus,  no  matter  how  great  its  apparent  need.  With  these  verses 
begin  what  is  commonly  known  as  the  **  first  preaching  tour  in  Gali- 
lee," but  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  think  of  Jesus  as  making  distinct 
tours.  Rather,  he  was  constantly  walking  about  the  little  region,  preach- 
ing and  healing.  Vs.  40,  "leper":  A  person  suffering  from  leprosy 
was  unclean  ceremonially,  as  well  as  physically  diseased.  As  the 
disease  was  regarded  as  contagious,  lepers  were  obliged  to  live  outside 
cities  and  cry  "  Unclean  ! "  whenever  anyone  approached.  In  this  case 
the  faith  of  the  man  in  the  ability  of  Jesus  to  heal  him  led  him  to  dis- 
regard all  such  regulations.  This  faith  appears  clearly  in  his  words. 
Vs.  41,  "I  will  ":  Note  the  use  of  the  leper's  own  words  by  Jesus.  Vs. 
42,  "  clean  ":  healthy,  well.  There  is  no  reference  to  moral  cleansing. 
Vs.  44.  The  directions  of  Jesus  are  intended  (i)  to  prevent  his  own 
work  being  hindered  by  giving  too  great  publicity  to  the  cure;  (2)  to 
prevent  men  thinking  of  him  chiefly  as  a  healer  of  their  bodies  or  as 
merely  concerned  with  their  external  life ;  (3)  to  guarantee  the  man  full 
and  official  reinstatement  in  the  community.  For  lepers  when  cured 
had  to  be  given  by  the  priest  something  corresponding  to  a  modern 
**  clean  bill  of  health."  In  order  to  obtain  this  according  to  the  law  of 
Moses,  they  appeared  before  a  priest,  exhibited  evidence  of  their  cure, 
and  offered  certain  sacrifices.  See  Lev.  14  :  2-32.  Vs.  45.  The  dis- 
obedience of  the  man  is  easily  understood,  but  it  spoiled  the  plan  of 
Jesus  to  preach  in  towns,  and  forced  him  to  work  in  the  country. 


^  104.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — ( i)  What  event 
led  Jesus  to  begin  his  public  ministry  in  Galilee?  (2)  Does 
he  at  its  beginning  work  alone  or  with   followers?      (3)*  What 


86  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

characteristic  addition  does  he  make  to  the  message  of  John  the 
Baptist?  (4)*  Does  Jesus  exhibit  any  special  bravery  in  thus 
beginning  anew  his  ministry?  If  so,  in  what?  (5)*  Describe 
Galilee  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Jesus.  (6)  How  was  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  especially  adapted  to  the  work  of  Jesus  ? 

(7)*  In  general,  what  importance  did  Jesus  accord  his  won- 
derful cures?  (8)  What  sort  of  faith  was  best  —  in  Jesus  him- 
self or  in  his  ability  to  cure  men? 

(9)*  How  did  Jesus  come  to  speak  in  the  synagogue  at 
Nazareth?  (10)*  What  impression  did  he  make  on  his  fellow- 
townsmen  at  first  ?  (11)*  What  made  them  angry  with  him? 
(12)*  What  was  the  reason  they  could  not  appreciate  him? 
(13)  Is  there  danger  today  of  our  underestimating  Jesus  because 
we  are  taught  so  much  about  him  ? 

(14)  Where  was  Capernaum  ? 

(15)  How  many  of  the  Twelve  were  fishermen?  (16)* 
How  does  their  readiness  to  follow  Jesus  imply  they  had  previ- 
ously been  his  disciples?  (17)*  If  Peter  had  understood  Jesus 
as  well  as  he  did  later,  would  he  have  asked  him  to  go  away  ? 

(18)*  Describe  the  events  in  the  synagogue  in  Capernaum. 
(19)  Why  did  Jesus  wish  the  man  to  keep  quiet  ? 

(20)*  What  are  the  most  noticeable  things  in  the  healing  of 
the  leper?  (21)*  Does  Jesus  appear  to  have  a  regard  for  public 
laws  as  to  health  ?  (22)  How  does  the  story  of  the  leper  illus- 
trate the  danger  lying  in  thoughtless  earnestness  ? 

^  105.  Constructive  Work.  —  Having  completed  the  study  of  this 
chapter,  write  chap,  ix  of  your  **  Life  of  Christ,"  noting  especially 
every  particular  that  shows  how  Jesus  was  beginning  in  Galilee. 

^106.     Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Galilee  and  the  Galileans  during  and  after  the  time  of  Jesus. 
Merril,   Galilee  in  the  Time  of  Christ;    Mathews,  New  Testament  Times  in 

Palestine,  pp.  148-54,  197-201 ;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  223-6. 

2.  The  synagogue  and  the  synagogue  service. 

Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Vol.  I,  pp.  430-50  ;  Vol.  II,  pp. 
742,  3  ;  Sketches  of  Jewish  Social  Life,  pp.  249-80;  Schurer,  The  Jewish  People  in 
the  TAne  of  Jesus  Christ,  Div.  II,  Vol.  II,  pp.  52-83. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HOSTILITY    OF    THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO    JESUS. 

§41.  The  paralytic  borne  of  four. 

Matt.  9  :  [i]  2-8.         Mark  2  : 1-12.  Luke  5  :  17-26. 

§42.  The  call  of  Matthew. 

Matt.  9  : 9-13.  Mark  2  :  13-17.        Luke  5  :  27-32. 

§43.  The  question  about  fasting. 

Matt.  9  :  14-17.  Mark  2  :  18-22.        Luke  5  :  33-39. 

§  44.  The  infirm  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda. 

John,  chap.  5. 
§45.  The  disciples  plucking  grain. 

Matt.  12  : 1-8.  Mark  2  :  23-28.         Luke  6  :  1-5. 

§46.  The  man  with  the  withered  hand. 

Matt.  12  19-14.  Mark  3  : 1-6.  Luke  6:6-11. 

If  107.  Notes  on  §41,  Mark  2:1-12. —  Vss.  i,  2,  "Capernaum": 
cf.  ^98.  "House":  The  houses  of  the  poorer  people  in  Palestine  were 
(and  still  are)  of  but  one  story,  and  built  of  a  mixture  of  straw  and 
mud  plastered  over  a  framework  of  posts  and  wickerwork.  The  walls 
and  roof  were  a  foot  or  more  thick,  but,  as  they  were  not  very  hard, 
they  were  easily  damaged  by  heavy  rains,  and  could  be  dug  through 
without  difficulty  (see  Matt.  6  :  20).  The  roof  was  flat  and  reached  by 
a  flight  of  stairs  running  from  the  street,  and  not  from  the  court  upon 
which  most  houses  opened.  Jesus  was  probably  standing  in  the  wide 
doorway,  and  the  crowd  had  filled  the  house  and  court-yard,  thus 
shutting  off  all  approach  to  him.  Vs.  3,  "sick  of  the  palsy":  better, 
"paralyzed."  "Borne  of  four":  The  paralytic  was  lying  on  his 
pallet  ("bed"),  and  one  of  his  friends  was  at  each  of  its  four  corners. 
Vs.  4,  "  uncovered  the  roof,"  etc. :  they  reached  the  flat  roof  by  the 
outside  stairway  and  easily  dug  through  it  between  the  rafters.  When 
the  opening  was  made,  they  passed  the  paralytic  down  to  those  who 
stood  about  Jesus  within  the  room  below.  Vs.  5,  "their  faith":  /.  e., 
of  the  five  men.  It  consisted  at  the  least  in  a  confidence  that  Jesus 
could  heal  the  sick  man,  and  was  evinced  by  the  energy  by  which  they 
overcame  the  obstacles  in  the  way  to  Jesus.  "  Sins  are  forgiven  thee": 
not  merely  the  injuries  done  men,  but  the  breakings  of  the  divine  law, 
/.  <f.,  wrongs  done  against  God,  are  forgiven.  Jesus  must  have  seen, 
therefore,  something  more  in   the   man   than  the   mere    desire  to  be 

87 


88  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

healed,  for  to  forgive  sins  is  to  free  one  from  penalty  and  to  restore 
one  to  friendship  with  God.  A  mere  desire  to  be  cured  would  have 
been  satisfied  by  a  cure.  Evidently  the  man  was  repentant  as  well  as 
ill,  and  perhaps  saw  in  his  illness  a  punishment  for  his  sin.  Vs.  6, 
"scribes":  professional  teachers  and  expounders  of  the  law,  and  the 
originators  of  the  "oral  law"  to  which  Jesus  was  so  opposed.  This 
was  the  first  time  that  Jesus  had  encountered  them.  It  is  to  be 
noted  that  the  beginning  of  their  opposition  concerns  the  authority 
ot  Jesus  as  over  against  their  own  opinions.  Vs.  7,  "  blasphemeth": 
speaks  or  acts  in  a  way  derogatory  to  God.  They  believed  that  the 
authority  to  pronounce  forgiveness  of  sins  was  wholly  limited  to  God. 
Jesus  proceeds  to  prove  that  it  is  his  as  well.  Bruce  remarks  {^Exposi- 
tor's Greek  Testament,  I,  351)  that  the  scribes  read  the  blasphemy  into 
the  words  of  Jesus.  (Compare  John  20  :  23,  where  a  similar  authority 
is  extended  to  the  apostles).  Vss.  9,  10.  The  argument  of  Jesus  is 
this :  ''  My  authority  to  say,  'Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,'  can  be  estab- 
lished by  my  ability  to  heal ;  one  form  of  words  is  as  easy  to  say  and 
as  effective  as  the  other."  Of  course,  such  an  argument  as  this  could 
be  conclusive  only  when  sustained  by  the  speaker's  own  righteoussness. 
^108.  Notes  on  §42,  Mark  2  :  13-17. — Vs.  13,  *'sea  side":  There 
are  two  beaches  near  Kahn  Minyeh  that  would  be  suitable  for  a  meet- 
ing place  of  crowds.  Vs.  14,  "sitting  at  the  place  of  toll":  A  large 
portion  of  the  income  of  Herod  Antipas  must  have  come  from  cus- 
toms. The  privilege  of  collecting  these  customs  was  sold  to  contract- 
ors, who  in  turn  sold  to  different  persons  the  right  to  collect  them  in 
specific  places.  As  the  men  who  actually  did  the  collecting  kept  all 
in  excess  of  what  they  paid  for  the  contract,  they  were  certain  to  be 
extortionate.  This  fact,  as  well  as  that  they  represented  an  obnoxious 
government,  made  the  publicans  despised  and  hated.  Levi,  or 
Matthew  (Matt.  9  :  9)  as  he  is  also  called,  was  one  of  these  smaller  pub- 
licans, and  probably  collected  customs  levied  upon  the  fish  and  other 
food  brought  to  Capernaum  from  the  lake  and  surrounding  country. 
It  was  he  who  wrote  in  Aramaic  the  collection  of  sayings  of  Jesus 
which  constitutes  so  important  a  part  of  the  gospel  that  bears  his 
name.  Cf.  T[  n.  Vs.  15.  It  is  noteworthy  that  Matthew  celebrates  his 
renunciation  of  a  hated  occupation  and  the  beginning  of  his  disciple- 
ship  to  Jesus  by  a  feast.  Vs.  16,  "  scribes  of  the  Pharisees  ":  /.  ^.,  those 
teachers  of  the  law  who  were  members  of  the  society  of  Pharisees. 
They  judged  it  a  chief  duty  of  religious  teachers  to  keep  away  from 
sinful  people.    Vs.  17.    The  words  of  Jesus  contain  no  little  irony,  but 


HOSTILITY    OF    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO    JESUS  89 

they  also  give  a  key  to  the  earnestness  of  his  life.  He  helped  those 
who  felt  the  need  of  help,  and  he  associated  with  evil  people  only  that 
he  might  show  them  the  way  to  righteousness.  The  word  "  righteous" 
may  either  be  ironical,  meaning  "self-righteous,"  or  may  denote  a 
merely  ideal  class  of  truly  righteous  men. 

Tf  109.  Notes  on  §43,  Mark  2  :  18-22. — Vs.  18,  "John's  disciples": 
John  was  already  in  prison  at  this  time  (Mark  i:  14),  but  his  disciples 
still  had  communication  with  him  (Matt.  11:2;  Luke  7:  18).  By  the 
"  disciples  of  the  Pharisees "  is  probably  meant  those  who  followed 
Pharisaic  teaching,,  though  not  strictly  members  of  the  society. 
"  Fasting":  The  law  of  Moses  made  compulsory  only  one  fast,  the  Day 
of  Atonement  (Lev.,  chap.  16;  23:26-32).  The  Pharisees,  however, 
from  their  inevitable  sense  of  failure  to  obey  the  numerous  rules  they 
derived  from  the  law,  were  led  to  fast  twice  every  week,  on  Mondays 
and  Thursdays.  "They  come,"  etc.:  The  question  was  not  only 
natural,  but  implies  that  the  Pharisees  had  not  yet  become  hostile  to 
Jesus.  Vs.  19,  "sons  of  the  bride-chamber":  those  special  friends  of 
the  bridegroom  whose  office  it  was,  according  to  Jewish  custom,  to  see 
that  the  wedding  passed  off  with  hilarity.  Naturally  they  did  not  fast. 
Jesus  does  not  forbid  fasting,  nor  does  he  command  it.  He  simply 
teaches  that,  if  it  is  to  be  practiced,  it  should  correspond  to  a  person's 
inner  experience.  In  this  illustration  the  bridegroom  represents  Jesus, 
and  his  friends,  the  disciples.  Vs.  20.  Jesus  here  shows  clearly  that 
thus  early  in  his  public  work  he  anticipated  death.  And  he  well  might. 
Did  he  not  have  before  him  always  the  experience  of  the  prophets 
(Matt.  5:12;  23:37)  and  of  John  the  Baptist?  Vss.  21,  22.  Two 
illustrations,  drawn  from  the  daily  life  of  the  people,  show  why  Jesus 
instituted  a  new  fraternity  instead  of  merely  reforming  Judaism.  As 
unshrunk  cloth,  if  sewed  on  to  an  old  garment,  soon  shrinks  and 
makes  new  rents,  and  as  old  goatskins  were  not  strong  enough  to  hold 
new  and  still  fermenting  wine,  so  would  the  old  institutions  suffer  if 
the  new  teaching  attempted  to  reform  them.  "New  wineskins,"  etc.: 
The  inference  is  that  Jesus  expected  that  his  followers  would  devise 
such  forms  and  organization  as  they  might  need. 

^  no.  Notes  on  §44,  John,  chap.  5. — Vs.  i,  "  a  feast  of  the  Jews": 
what  feast  this  was  has  been  much  discussed,  but  without  reaching 
any  well-established  conclusions.  Vs.  2,  "  a  pool  ....  having  five 
porches":  see  1[iii.  Vs.  7,  "I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is 
troubled,  to  put  me  into  the  pool":  The  pool  was  probably  fed  by  an 
intermittent   spring,  and  to  the  irregularly  recurrent  inflow  the  people 


go  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

had  attributed  a  peculiar  healing  power.  The  explanation  of  the  cause 
of  the  motion  of  the  water  found  in  vs.  4,  but  omitted  from  the 
Revised  Version,  was  probably  added  to  the  text  by  some  early  copyist. 
It  is  not  contained  in  the  oldest  manuscripts. 

Vs.  10,  *'itis  not  lawful,"  etc.:  Carrying  a  burden,  however  small, 
was  one  of  the  things  which  Pharisaic  teaching  expressly  forbade  on 
the  sabbath.  See  Jer.  17  :  21 ;  Neh.  13  :  15-2  c.  Vs.  14,  "Sin  no  more, 
lest  a  worse  thing  befall  thee":  cease  to  sin,  lest  something  worse  than 
a  physical  infirmity  come  upon  thee.  The  language  perhaps  suggests, 
but  does  not  affirm,  that  his  infirmity  had  been  caused  by  his  sin.  What 
Jesus  wishes  in  any  case  to  save  him  from  is  a  worse  than  physical  ill. 
Vs.  15,  "told  the  Jews  that  it  was  Jesus":  probably  not  with  the  inten- 
tion, yet  with  the  result,  of  turning  the  hostility  of  the  Jews  against 
Jesus.  Vs.  17,  "my  Father  worketh  even  until  now,  and  I  work"  :  To 
the  Jews'  literal  and  strict  interpretation  of  the  sabbath  law,  which  con- 
verted the  day  into  one  of  inactivity,  relieved  only  by  hypocritical 
evasions,  Jesus  replies  that  God,  his  Father,  never  interrupts  his  benefi- 
cent activity,  hence  that  activity  on  this  day  cannot  be  itself  wrong, 
and  that  that  which  he  is  doing  cannot  be  wrong  since  he  is  working  in 
harmony  with  his  Father,  The  argument  does  not  prove  that  man  does 
not  need  a  sabbath  for  rest,  but  that  the  sabbath  is  not  intended  to  be 
a  day  of  total  inactivity.  He  who  works  in  harmony  with  God  need 
never  cease  his  work  because  of  the  sacred  devotion  of  certain  hours  of 
the  week  to  inactivity. 

Vs.  18,  "called  God  his  own  Father":  not  so  much  in  the 
words  he  had  used,  though  the  expression  "my  Father,"  which  Jesus 
used  here  and  often,  was  one  to  which  the  Jews  were  not  accustomed, 
as  in  the  implication  that  he  was  so  at  one  with  God  that  he  knew  his 
thought^  and  what  God  did  he  could  do.  "  Making  himself  equal  with 
God  "  :  of  equal  authority  with  God,  no  more  than  he  subject  to  the  law. 

The  new  question  raised  in  vs.  18,  Jesus'  relation  to  God,  becomes 
the  subject  of  the  discourse  beginning  in  vs.  19,  and  the  sabbath  ques- 
tion drops  out  of  consideration.  In  vss.  19-29  Jesus  emphasizes  the 
thought  already  expressed  in  vs.  17,  viz.,  that  he  acts  constantly  and 
only  in  accordance  with  the  will  of  his  Father,  not  as  if  he  were  a 
second  and  independent  God  equal  with  God  (the  Jews'  idea,  see  vs. 
18),  but  the  manifestation  in  human  life  of  the  one  God  (see  John 
14:10). 

Vss.  30-47  speak  of  the  evidence  that  Jesus  is  really  what  he 
says  he  is,  the  Son,  revealer,  and  representative  of  God.     His  claim 


HOSTILITY    OF    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO    JESUS 


91 


does  not  rest  merely  on  his  own  assertion  (vs.  31),  but  upon  the 
Father's  power  working  in  and  through  him  (ys.  36),  John's  witness, 
and  the  scriptures'  witness,  to  which  the  Jews  are  blind,  because  they 
have  come  to  them  in  a  wrong  way. 

In  chap.  7  :  15-24  the  controversy  here  begun  is  carried  forward 
(see  especially  vss.  21,  23).  There  again  Jesus  maintains  that  it  is  not 
himself  but   God   whom  they  are   rejecting,  and  this  because  of  the 


THE  POOL  OF  BETHESDA,  as  identified  by  C.  Schick 

[From  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund  Quarterly  Statement,  1888] 

The  fresco  of  the  angel  is  at  X,  a  little  to  the  right  of  and  above  / 

blindness  which  their  selfish  ambition  causes.  Then,  returning  for  a 
moment  to  the  violation  of  the  sabbath  which  they  charged  against 
him,  he  points  out  that  they  themselves  admit  that  some  kinds  of  work 
may  be  done  on  the  sabbath,  and  urges  them  to  judge  righteously,  not 
superficially. 

^  1 1 1 .  The  Pool  of  Bethesda. — [a)  The  site  favored  by  tradition  since 
the  fourteenth  century  is  the  so-called  Birket  Israel,  just  north  of  the  temple 
area.  It  is  over  50  feet  deep,  131  feet  wide,  and  365  feet  long  from  east  to 
west ;  its  length  is  continued,  however,  by  an  extension  142  feet  long  by  45  feet 
wide.  Its  depth  seems  to  exclude  it  from  consideration  as  the  place  spoken 
of  by  John,  and  it  is  probably  not  as  old  as  the  first  century,  {b)  Robinson 
suggested,  without  advocating  it,  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  outside  the  city 
wall  on  the  east  side  {^Biblical  Researches,  I,  pp.  337-43),  and  Conder 
approves  the  suggestion  (Hastings,  Did.  Bib.,  art.  "  Bethesda ").  The 
chief  argument  for  it  is  that  it  is  an  intermittent  spring,  {c)  The  Twin  Pools 
at  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  Fortress  of  Antonia.     Here  are  two  pools 


92 


LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


RUINS  OF  OLD  CHURCH  OVER  POOL 
OF  BETHESDA 


cut  in  the  rock,  side  by  side,  with  a  partition  five  feet  wide  between  them,  and 
a  never-failing  water  supply  (Wilson,  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  p.  198).  (^) 
In  1888  Schick  discovered  about  350  feet  north  and  west  of  the  Birket  Israel 
(100  feet  west  of  the  church  ot  St.  Anne),  beneath  the  ruins  of  a  small  church, 
further  ruins  of  what  was  evidently  once  aperies  of  five  arched  chambers, 
constituting  a  still  older  church.     Beneath   these   ruins  and  reached  by  a 

stone  staircase,  is  a  pool,  the  water  of 
which  is  said  to  vary  intermittently  in 
depth.  On  the  walls  of  the  older  church 
is  a  fresco  (to  the  right  of  ?)  showing 
an  angel  troubling  the  water.  This 
shows  that  at  a  very  early  time  this  was 
believed  to  represent  the  site  of  the 
pool  referred  to  in  the  New  Testament 
{Palestine  Exploration  Fund  Quar- 
ter ly,\ZZ%,i^}^.  i\^-'^\\  1890,  pp.  18- 
20).  Williams  {Holy  City,  p.  484)  and 
Clermont-Ganneau  had  before  this 
discovery  indicated  this  as  the  spot 
near  which  the  pool  should  be  found. 
The  choice  probably  lies  between  the  last-named  site  near  St.  Anne's  and  the 
Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  with  the  probabilities  somewhat  in  favor  of  the  former. 

^112.  Notes  on  §  45,  Mark  2  :  23-28. — Vs.  23,  *' corn-fields  "  :  bet- 
ter, "fields  of  grain,"  probably  of  wheat.  This  would  make  the  month 
May  or  June.  Paths  frequently  run  through  grain-fields  in  Pales- 
tine. "Pluck  the  ears  of  corn":  better,  "pull  the  heads  of  grain." 
Vs.  24,  "that  which  is  not  lawful":  According  to  the  scrupulous 
Pharisees  the  disciples  of  Jesus  had  broken  the  sabbath,  in  that 
they  had  reaped,  threshed,  and  winnowed  by  pulling,  rubbing,  and 
cleaning  the  grain  before  eating  it.  This  attitude  of  the  Pharisees  is  in 
keeping  with  the  regulations  governing  action  upon  the  sabbath  which 
have  come  down  to  us  in  the  Talmud.  Vs.  25,  "what  David  did": 
see  I  Sam.  21  :  i  f.  Vs.  26,  "house  of  God":  the  tabernacle,  as  the 
temple  was  not  built  until  the  time  of  Solomon.  "When  Abiathar  was 
high  priest":  According  to  i  Sam.  21:2  Ahimelech  was  high  priest 
when  David  ate  the  shewbread,  Abiathar  being  made  high  priest  shortly 
afterward  (i  Sam.  23:9),  but  the  discrepancy  is  of  no  consequence  to 
the  argument  of  Jesus.  "Shewbread":  the  sacred  bread  set  before 
Jehovah  in  two  rows  of  six  loaves  on  a  table  in  the  holy  place  of  the 
tabernacle.  At  the  end  of  a  week  these  loaves  were  eaten  by  the  priests, 
after  new  ones  had  been  set  in  their  place.  David  was  not  a  priest, 
and  had  no  right  to  eat  the  bread  ;  but   his  great  need  excused   him. 


HOSTILITY    OF    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO    JESUS  93 

Vs.  27,  This  anecdote  is  used  by  Jesus  to  illustrate  the  principle  gov- 
erning the  observance  of  a  day  of  rest  and  worship ;  it  must  aid,  and 
not  burden,  men  physically  and  religiously.  Man  is  superior  to  the 
sabbath.  Vs.  28,  "so  that,"  etc.:  If  this  be  true  of  the  relation  of  men 
in  general  to  the  sabbath,  Jesus  holds  that  it  is  preeminently  true  of 
himself.  He  claims  to  be  superior  even  to  the  divine  law  as  it  was 
published  by  Moses. 

1[  113.  Notes  on  §  45,  Matt.  12  :  1-8. —  Vs.  5,  **  Have  ye  not  read," 
etc.:  The  reference  is  (Numb.  28:9)  to  the  work  done  by  the  priests  in 
making  the  sabbath 'burnt-offering  of  two  lambs.  The  needs  of  the 
temple  worship  justified  breaking  the  law  of  the  sabbath.  Vs.  6,  "  one 
greater  than  the  temple"  :  better,  "something  greater,"  etc.,  /.  <f.,  the 
kingdom  of  God.  All  the  more,  therefore,  was  he,  its  founder,  superior 
to  the  law  governing  sabbath  observance.  Vs.  7,  "  If  ye  had  known  "  : 
fully  understood.  The  rest  of  this  important  verse  is  a  rebuke  to  a 
narrow  conscientiousness  that  would  rather' see  a  human  being  suffer 
than  break  a  rule  to  aid  him.  Jesus  maintains  that  God  desires  the 
spirit  of  love  and  mercy  rather  than  any  formal  obedience,  such  as 
sacrifice  (Hos.  6:6;  cf.  Mic.  6  :  6-8). 

^114.  Notes  on  §  46,  Mark 3  :  1-6. —  Vs.  i,  "hand  withered  "  :  doubt- 
less the  effect  of  an  accident.  Vs.  2,  "they  watched  him":  Evidently 
the  conflict  between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  (2 : 6  f.)  had  greatly  deepened 
since  the  query  as  to  fasting.  "  That  they  might  accuse  him  "  :  Accord- 
ing to  the  Pharisees  it  was  not  lawful  to  render  any  unnecessary  medi- 
cal assistance  upon  the  sabbath.  If,  therefore,  the  sick  person  —  as  in 
the  present  instance  —  could  be  cured  as  well  on  Sunday  as  on  the  sab- 
bath, they  believed  it  a  sin  to  heal  him  on  the  sabbath  {cf.  ^  1 10).  Vs. 
3,  "  stand  forth  "  :  The  obedience  of  the  man  is  the  first  evidence  we 
have  of  his  faith.  Vs.  4,  "  Is  it  lawful  on  the  sabbath  day,"  etc.:  The 
question  of  Jesus  discloses  a  fundamental  truth  :  "  not  to  do  good  to  a 
person  needing  it  is  the  same  as  to  do  him  evil  "  (Gould).  The  alter- 
native he  thus  presents  them  is  not  between  doing  nothing  and  doing 
something  on  the  sabbath,  but  between  doing  something  good  and  (by 
refusal  to  do  anything)  doing  something  bad.  No  wonder  they  did 
not  want  to  answer  him.  Vs.  5,  "looked  round  about  ....  with 
anger,  being  grieved "  :  Such  hardening  of  heart  (hearts  growing 
harder)  and  moral  cowardice,  such  an  elevation  of  a  religious  rule 
above  actual  human  need,  could  not  fail  to  arouse  righteous  indignation 
in  Jesus  ;  but  it  also  caused  him  grief  —  a  fact  well  worthy  of  thought. 
Vs.  6,  "  Herodians  "  :  mentioned  only  by  Mark.     They  were  those  who 


94  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

favored  the  rule  of  the  Herodian  family.  Such  persons  would  ordi- 
narily be  suspected  by  the  Pharisees,  the  old  enemies  and  victims  of 
Herod  I.  Should  Jesus  continue  to  gain  popularity,  there  was  danger 
that  what  seemed  the  religious  and  political  foundations  of  society 
would  be  shaken. 

^115.  The  Order  of  Events  in  Mark  2  :  13 — 3  :  6.—  "  The  sequence  of  inci- 
dents in  Mark  (at  this  point)  suggests  that  we  have  here  rather  a  typical  group 
of  points  in  the  controversy  with  the  Pharisees  than  a  chronicle  of  events 
as  they  happened  in  order  of  time"  (Sanday,  in  Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the 
Bible,  II,  613).  The  general  subject  is  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  the  Pharisees 
and  their  teachings.  Internal  evidence  seems  to  demand  that  considerable 
time  should  have  elapsed  between  the  calm  questioning  of  Jesus  as  to  pub- 
licans and  fasting,  and  the  determination  to  kill  him  because  of  his  attitude 
toward  the  sabbath  laws.  The  reasons  for  this  view  are  {a)  the  evident  unity 
of  the  section,  {U)  the  absence  of  any  chronological  interdependence  of  the 
episodes,  {c)  the  apparent  friendship  in  which  Jesus  lived  with  leading 
Jews  later  in  the  Galilean  period  {cf.  Luke  7  :  3),  {d)  the  less  advanced  stage 
of  the  conflict  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  (Mark  3:22f.;  Matt,  12:38 
f.;  Mark  7  :  i  f.)  at  a  later  time,  and  {e)  the  utter  absence  of  any  evidence 
that  the  Pharisees  interfered  seriously  with  Jesus  until  a  considerable  time 
later.  We  are  led  to  believe,  therefore,  that  §  43  belongs  to  the  very  begin- 
ning of  Jesus'  ministry,  §  45  a  little  later ;  §  46,  on  the  other  hand,  may 
belong  to  the  time  just  before  the  withdrawal  of  Jesus  to  the  north,  of  which 
act  the  plot  of  the.  Pharisees  was  very  likely  one  cause.  It  may  be  noticed, 
also,  that  Papias  in  the  earliest  known  reference  to  Mark's  gospel  says  it  was 
not  "  in  order,"  though  correct. 

^116.  The  Causes  of  the  Enmity  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. —  At  the 
beginning  of  the  public  work  of  Jesus  the  religious  leaders  of  his  people  paid 
him  little  attention,  and  he  was  allowed  to  work  in  peace.  Their  conflict 
with  him  passed  rapidly  through  the  stages  of  surprise,  suspicion,  open 
criticism,  and  conspiracy.  Its  fundamental  ground  was  the  attitude  of  Jesus 
toward  the  "oral  law,"  or  teaching  of  the  Pharisees  as  a  class,  especially  as 
it  concerned  the  sabbath.  Jesus  did  nothing  to  placate  the  rabbis,  but  on 
the  contrary  attacked  them  with  increasing  severity  as  hypocrites.  Added 
to  this  essentially  religious  conflict  was  the  popularity  of  Jesus  among  the 
masses,  which  was  interpreted  to  mean  social  agitation,  if  not  revolution. 
Altogether  it  was  a  continuation  of  the  long  struggle  of  the  prophets  with 
priests  and  legalists. 

^117.  The  Characteristics  and  Results  of  tht  First  Period  of  the  Galilean 
Ministry.  —  The  new  beginning  made  by  Jesus  in  Galilee  had  involved  at  first 
only  his  unaided  preaching  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand.  But 
almost  immediately  he  set  about  establishing  that  kingdom  in  the  shape  of  a 
fraternity  composed  of  his  disciples.     He,  therefore,  recalled  the  little  group 


HOSTILITY    OF    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO    JESUS  95 

of  friends  who  had  been  with  him  in  Judea,  and  began  his  short  life  with 
them.  Gradually  their  numbers  grew.  His  wonderful  cures,  his  sympathy 
with  the  despised  masses,  his  authoritative  teaching,  his  sense  of  personal 
superiority  to  the  laws  of  the  Pharisees,  all  drew  men  to  him,  and  the  move- 
ment thus  begun  soon  attracted  the  attention,  if  not  the  suspicion,  of  the 
authorities  in  Jerusalem.  Especially  did  his  treatment  of  Pharisaic  teaching 
about  the  sabbath,  to  the  effect  that  it  is  inferior  to  the  law  of  human  need, 
displease  the  religious  authorities.  Yet  (even  if  §  46  be  regarded  as  belong- 
ing to  this  period)  they  did  not  openly  attack  him,  and  be  continued  to 
teach  in  :he  synagogues  of  Galilee  so  long  as  they  could  contain  the  crowds 
that  wished  to  hear  hirfl.  When  his  popularity  made  this  no  longer  possible, 
he  preached  in  the  fields  or  on  the  beach  near  Capernaum.  The  charac- 
teristics of  the  period  may  thus  be  summed  up  in  the  words  :  evangelization 
and  beginnings  of  organization  ;  popularity  and  beginnings  of  opposition.  It 
was  these  conditions  that  made  it  necessary  to  select  the  twelve  men  who 
formed  his  closest  companions. 


^118.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)*  Describe 
the  healing  of  the  paralytic.  (2)  What  is  the  most  remarkable 
thing  in  the  entire  account?  (3)  Why  were  the  scribes  dis- 
pleased with  Jesus  ?  Could  they  have  understood  him  as  well 
as  we  ?  (4)*  What  does  Jesus  do  to  prove  his  authority  to 
forgive  sins?  (5)  Do  we  need  miracles  today  to  prove  that 
God  is  willing  to  forgive  anyone  who  wants  him  to  forgive 
him  ?  (6)*  What  makes  us  think  the  paralytic  had  faith  that 
Jesus  could  heal  him?  (7)  Can  anyone  show  faith  of  a  higher 
sort  in  the  same  way  ? 

(8)*  Who  were  the  publicans,  and  why  were  they  hated? 
(9)  *  What  do  we  know  about  Matthew-Levi  ?  ( 10)  *  Who  were 
the  scribes?  (n)*  ^^^  were  the  Pharisees?  See  ^30,  b. 
(12)  Show  how  Jesus  "called  sinners  to  repentance." 

(13)  What  is  meant  by  fasting?  (14)*  Why  did  not  Jesus 
expect  his  disciples  to  fast  ?  (15)  Does  he  command  us  to  fast  ? 
(16)  How  should  religious  people  live,  mournfully  or  joyfully? 
Why  ?  (17)  State  briefly  the  difference  between  Jesus  and  John 
the  Baptist  in  this  matter. 

(18)*  What  did  the  sick  man  believe  about  the  Pool  of 
Bethesda  ?     (19)*    How    did    Jesus   violate   the    Pharisees'    law 


96  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

about  the  sabbath  in  healing  this  man?  (20)*  How  did  the 
man  show  his  faith  in  Jesus?  (21)  What  did  Jesus  mean  by 
calling  God  his  Father?  (22)*  To  what  testimony  does  Jesus 
appeal  in  his  argument  with  the  Jews  ? 

(23)*  How  did  the  disciples  violate  the  sabbath  law  while 
walking  in  the  fields?  (24)*  What  defense  did  Jesus  make  for 
them?  (25)*  What  illustrations  does  he  draw  from  the  Old 
Testament?      (26)*  What  is  the  true  law  of  the  sabbath? 

(27)*  What  rule  of  the  Pharisees  did  Jesus  break  when  he 
healed  the  man  with  the  withered  hand?  (28)*  What  question 
does  he  ask  in  defense  of  his  action  ?  (29)  Why  were  the 
Pharisees  eager  to  kill  him  ?  (30)  Are  very  conscientious  people 
liable  to  be  too  severe  in  their  judgments  ?  If  so,  how  can  they 
overcome  this  danger? 

(31)*  Give  briefly  the  results  of  the  first  period  of  the 
Galilean  ministry  ? 

^119.  Constructive  Work. —  Let  the  pupil  write  a  chapter  for  his 
"  Life  of  Christ "  on  some  such  plan  as  this : 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE    HOSTILITY    OF   THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES    TO   JESUS. 

1.  The  forgiveness  of  sins  and  the  rejection  of  fasting. 

2.  The  growth  of  the  sabbath  controversy. 
^  120.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Fasting  as  described  (a)  in  the  Old  Testament;  (<5)  in  the  New 
Testament. 

2.  Pharisaic  laws  governing  the  observance  of  the  sabbath. 

Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  II,  pp.  53-61;  Schurer,  The 
Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of  Jesus  Christ,  Div.  II,  Vol.  II,  pp.  96-105.  See  also  Dic- 
tionaries of  the  Bible  under  "  Sabbath." 


Part  V. 
SECOND  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    CHOOSING    OF    THE  TWELVE    UNTIL   THE  WITHDRAWAL 
INTO  NORTHERN  GALILEE. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE    CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE    AND    THE    SERMON  ON    THE    MOUNT. 

§  47.  The  widespread  fame  of  Christ. 

Matt.    4 :  23-25. 

Matt.  12  :  15-21.  Mark  3  : 7-12.  [Luke  6  :  17-19.] 

§48.  The  choosing  of  the  Twelve. 

[Matt.  10  : 2-4.]  Mark  3  :  i3-i9«.        Luke  6  :  12-19. 

§49.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

Matt.,  chaps.  5,  6,  7  [8  :  i.]  Luke  6  :  20-49. 

^121.  Notes  on  §47,  Mark  3:7-12. —  These  verses  indicate  how 
widely  at  this  period  the  work  of  Jesus  had  attracted  attention.  Vs.  7, 
"with  the  disciples":  see  also  vs.  9;  though  the  Twelve  had  not  yet 
been  chosen,  Jesus  had  a  company  of  disciples,  pupils  who  accompanied 
him  from  place  to  place.  Among  these  were  the  four  fishermen  (Mark 
I  :  16-20)  and  Levi  the  publican  (Mark  2  :  13-16).  "The  sea":  of  Gali- 
lee. "Galilee"  ....  "  Judea"  ....  "Jerusalem"  ....  "beyond 
Jordan"  ....  "Tyre  and  Sidon":  look  up  all  these  on  the  map, 
and  notice  that  they  include  all  Palestine  (except  Samaria)  and  the 
adjacent  regions  both  south  and  north.  Vs.  11,  "  whensoever  they 
beheld  him,"  etc.:  this  is  one  of  the  strange  facts  about  the  demons, 
always  mentioned  except  in  cases  where  the  demoniac  was  dumb  or  at 
a  distance.     See  •"  loi. 

^  122.  Notes  on  §  47,  Matt.  4  :  23-25 ;  12  :  15-21. — The  bringing  together 
of  these  two  passages  from  Matthew  (4  :  23-25  ;  12  :  15-21)  is  required  by  the 
comparison  of  the  gospels,  which  indicates  that  both  refer  to  the  same  period. 
Matthew's  order  is  due,  no  doubt,  to  his  topical  arrangement.     See  ^11. 

Matt.  4  :  24,  "all  Syria":  corresponding  to  Mark's  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
for  which  it  is  probably  a  hyperbole.  Vs.  25,  "  Decapolis  ":  a  name 
applied  to  the  region  in  which  were  located  ten  Greek  cities,  which 

97 


98  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

had  been  established  in  the  days  since  Alexander's  conquest  and  which 
had  recently  formed  a  league.  The  cities  included  Gadara,  Gerasa, 
Philadelphia,  Scythopolis,  and  others ;  all  but  Scythopqlis,  the  capital 
of  the  confederation,  lying  east  of  the  Jordan. 

On  Matt.  12  :  17  see  ^39. 

Luke  6:  17-19  is  closely  parallel  to  Mark  3:  7-12,  and,  though 
placed  after  the  choosing  of  the  Twelve,  instead  of  before  it  as  in 
Mark,  evidently  refers  to  the  same  facts. 

^123.  Notes  on  §48,  Mark  3:13-19^. — Vs.  13,  "into  the  moun- 
tain": better,  perhaps,  "on  the  hills,"  /.  e.,  the  hills  that  skirted  the 
sea.  Tradition  makes  the  Horns  of  Hattin,  a  double  peaked  hill  four 
miles  back  from  the  sea  and  about  eight  miles  southwest  from  Caper- 
naum, the  site;  but  the  gospel  furnishes  no  means  of  deciding  cer- 
tainly. "Calleth  unto  him  whom  he  himself  would":  he  made  his 
own  selection  of  those  to  whom  he  would  speak  that  day,  and  from 
whom  he  would  choose  the  still  smaller  circle  of  the  Twelve.  This 
was  something  different  from  his  usual  sermons  addressed  to  all  who 
chose  to  come.  See  Luke  6:12.  Vs.  14,  "  and  he  appointed  twelve, 
that  they  might  be  with  him,"  etc.:  a  most  instructive  statement  of  the 
purpose  for  which  the  Twelve  were  chosen  :  they  are  to  be  his  com- 
panions and  (for  he  was  recognized  as  a  teacher)  his  pupils,  consti- 
tuting a  fraternity,  the  nucleus  of  the  kingdom;  he  is  to  send  them 
out  from  time  to  time  to  preach,  and  to  cast  out  demons.  Thus  they 
are  to  be  both  pupils  and  workers,  combining  learning  and  doing. 
The  sending  out  (the  Greek  shows  this  as  the  English  cannot)  is  not  a 
single  act,  that  which  is  to  follow  his  death  — of  this  they  have  as  yet 
no  knowledge  or  thought  —  but  something  to  be  repeatedly  done  while 
they  are  with  him.  Vs.  15,  "devils":  see  the  margin  "demons;"  the 
gospels  speak  of  but  one  devil,  Satan ;  but  of  many  demons,  unclean 
spirits.  VSS.T6-19.  Compare  the  lists  in  Matt.  10  :  2-4;  Luke  6:  12-19; 
Acts  1:13.  Observe  that  the  names  in  each  list  fall  into  three  groups 
of  four  each ;  these  groups  are  the  same  in  all  the  lists  and  stand  in 
the  same  order ;  only  the  order  within  the  groups  varies.  The  four 
fishermen  always  constitute  the  first  group,  Peter  always  leading.  The 
second  group  begins  with  Philip,  the  third  with  James.  The  student 
should  fix  these  names  in  mind. 

^124.  Notes  on  §48,  Luke  6:12-19. — Vs.  12,  "continued  all 
night  in  prayer":  an  important  addition  of  Luke,  which  emphasizes 
the  significance  which  Jesus  attached  to  this  event,  and  his  conscious- 
ness of  need  of  divine    guidance  in  times  of    special  responsibility. 


CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE SERMON    ON    THE    MOUNT  99 

Vs.   13,  "whom    he  also  named  apostles":  /.  e.^  "messengers,  dele- 
gates."    On  vss.  17-19  see  ^  122. 

^125.  Notes  on  §49,  Matt.,  chaps.  5,  6,  7  [8:1]. — In  the  study  of 
this  discourse  it  is  desirable  to  get  at  the  outset  an  impression  of  it 
as  a  whole.  The  student  is  therefore  advised  to  go  carefully  over  the 
whole  sermon,  endeavoring,  with  the  help  of  the  following  analysis,  to 
get  a  clear  idea  of  its  general  plan. 

ANALYSIS  OF  THE  SERMON  ON  THE   MOUNT. 
•  Matt.,  chaps  5-7. 

I.  The  citizens  of  the  kingdom  (the  disciples  of 
Christ)  described  according  to  his  ideal  of 
their  character.  5:3-16 

1.  The    moral  character  which  Jesus  desired  in  those  of 

whom  he  would  build  his  kingdom.  5  :  3-12 

2.  Their  office  in  the  world.  5:13-16 

n.  The  permanence  of  the  law,  and  the  high  stand- 
ard of  righteousness  in  the  kingdom.  5  :  17-20 

HI.  The  righteousness  that  is  required  in  the  new 
kingdom  in  contrast  with  the  prevalent  teach- 
ing of  the  synagogue.  Evil  thoughts  and 
feelings,  and  all  degrees  of  sin,  condemned,  in 
contrast   with  the  literalism  of  the   synagogue, 

WHICH     condemned      ONLY      THE     DEEDS     SPECIFICALLY 
prohibited  by  THE  LAW.  5  :2I-48 

1.  In  respect  to  murder.  5:21-26 

2.  In  respect  to  adultery.  5  :  27-30 

3.  In  respect  to  divorce.  5:31.32 

4.  In  respect  to  oaths.  5  :  33-37 

5.  In  respect  to  retaliation  and  resistance.  5  :  38-42 

6.  In  respect  to  love  of  others.  5  :  43-47 

7.  The  all-inclusive  precept  of  righteousness.  5  :  48 

IV.  The  righteousness  required  in  the  new  kingdom 
IN  contrast  with  the  ostentatious  and  hypocriti- 
cal   conduct    of    the     men     of     that     day.     All 

THINGS  to  be  done  FOR  THE  APPROVAL,  NOT  OF  MEN, 

BUT  OF  God.  6:  1-18 

1.  General  injunction  to  avoid  ostentation.  6:  i 

2.  Applied  to  almsgiving.  6  :  2-4 

3.  Applied  to  prayer.  6  :  5-15 

4.  Applied  to  fasting.  6:  16-18 


100  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

V.  Single-eyed    service    of    God   and   simple   trust  in 

HIM  enjoined.  6  :  19-34 

VI.  Judgment  of  others  forbidden.  7  :  1-6 

VII.  Confidence    in    God's    willingness    to    bless     en- 
joined. 7  ••  7-1 1 
VIII.  The   all-inclusive   principle    respecting    conduct 

toward  others  (the  "Golden  Rule  ").  7:12 

IX.  The  practice  of  righteousness,  not  profession  or 

hearing  only,  enjoined.  7  :  13-27 

1.  Diligence  to  enter  upon  the  right  way  enjoined.  7  •  13.  U 

2.  Warning  against  false  prophets.  7  '  15-20 

3.  Warning  against  self-deception  and  confidence  in  mere 
profession.  y  :  21-27 

Notice  the  prominence  throughout  the  discourse  of  two  great  ideas, 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  righteousness.  The  theme  of  the  discourse, 
indeed,  is  the  righteousness  of  the  kingdom,  the  character  of  those 
who  are  to  compose  and  to  enjoy  the  new  kingdom  that  John  and 
Jesus  had  announced.  Almost  every  paragraph  of  the  discourse  deals 
with  some  aspect  of  this  one  subject. 

5:1,  2,  narrative  introduction.  Vs.  i,  "into  the  mountain":  see 
on  Mark  3:  13  ^  123.  "His  disciples":  it  is  these  to  whom  the  dis- 
course is  addressed  and  who  are  spoken  to  in  the  second  person  (vs. 
13,  etc.).  The  gospel  speaks  also  of  multitudes  as  being  present  (7  :  28, 
29),  but  it  was  not  to  them  that  Jesus  spoke. 

I,  I.  The  moral  character  which  Jesus  desired  in  those  of  whom  he 
would  build  his  kingdom,  5  :  3-12. — Vs.  3,  "  poor  in  spirit":  conscious 
that  they  are  poor,  and  so  conscious  of  need,  not,  as  the  Pharisees,  self- 
sui^cient.  See  an  illustration  in  Luke  18  :  9-14.  "Theirs  is  the  king- 
dom": to  them  belong  its  privileges  and  blessings.  In  the  following 
verses  the  clause  beginning  with  "for"  expresses  in  each  case  some 
phase  of  this  same  idea,  some  blessing  of  the  kingdom,  appropriate  to 
the  element  of  character  set  forth  in  the  first  clause.  Vs.  4,  "  they  that 
mourn":  to  whom  their  own  need,  and  perhaps  too  the  needs  of  the 
times,  are  a  grief;  not,  as  many,  self-satisfied  or  indifferent.  Vs.  5, 
'^the  ineek":  the  gentle  and  teachable,  not  the  violent  and  self-assert- 
ing, harsh  and  intractable.  Compare  Ps.  25  :  9  ;  James  1:21;  and 
especially  Matt.  11:29.  Vs.  6,  "hunger  and  thirst  after  righteous- 
ness": eagerly  and  constantly  desire  to  have  that  character  which  God 
desires  and  approves.  Vs.  7,  "the  merciful":  compare  Mark  12  :  40  : 
Matt.  23  :  23.     Vs.  8,  "the  pure  in  heart  ":  not  simply  as  the  Pharisees, 


CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE — -SE-JlfttCN.  9N    TM^-.M^kX".    lOI 

who  sought  to  be  outwardly  fair  and  ceremonially  pure.  Compare 
Mark  7:2-5,  17-23;  Matt.  23:25-28.  Vs.  11,  "when  men  shall 
reproach  you":  compare  John  5  :  44;  12:43;  i5:i9>2o.  Notice  that 
Jesus  is  not  here  speaking  of  several  classes  of  people,  but  of  one  class, 
setting  forth  the  various  elements  of  character  which  he  desired  in 
those  who  were  to  be  his  disciples.  Consider  carefully  what  is  the 
character  which  is  thus  described. 

I,  2.  T/ie  office  of  Jesus'  disciples  in  the  world,  e^-.i-^-id. — Vs.  13, 
"the  salt  of  the  earth":  the  purifying,  antiseptic  influence  in  the  world  ; 
the  people  who  by  their  presence  and  influence  are  to  keep  the  world 
from  becoming  utterly  corrupt.  "But  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savour": 
/.  e.,  the  real  saltness  (this  was  possible  to  the  ancient  salt  as  it  is  not  to 
the  purer  article  today);  applied  to  the  disciples  it  denotes  the  loss  of 
inmost  character,  while  still  retaining  the  name  or  appearance  of  dis- 
cipleship  and  goodness.  "Cast  out,"  etc.:  scorned,  despised.  This  is 
all  that  hypocrites,  nominal  Christians,  are  fit  for.  Vs.  14,  "the  light 
of  the  world  ".  the  source  of  moral  enlightenment,  those  who  by  their 
lives  show  men  what  true  and  right  living  is.  "A  city  set  on  a  hill  can- 
not be  hid":  you  cannot  therefore  shirk  the  responsibility.  Vs.  16, 
"  Even  so":  /.  e.,  as  a  city  on  a  hill  or  a  lamp  on  a  stand  shines,  natu- 
rally and  necessarily,  because  it  is  lighted.  Both  illustrations,  the  salt 
and  the  light,  emphasize  the  influence  of  character,  what  men  are 
rather  than  what  they  seek  to  do.  "And  glorify  your  Father":  this  is 
always  the  effect  of  a  good  life.  Men  believe  in  the  goodness  of  God 
when  they  see  goodness  in  men.  Consider  carefully  the  twofold 
responsibility  Jesus  lays  upon  his  disciples,  and  the  way  in  which  it  is 
to  be  met. 

II.  The  permanence  of  the  law  and  the  high  standard  of  righteousness 
in  the  kingdom,  5:  17-20. — Vs.  17,  "Think  not,"  etc. :  Evidently  some 
had  charged  Jesus  with  breaking  down  the  authority  of  the  law  and 
perverting  morals.  The  ground  of  this  charge  was  doubtless  in  the 
fact  that  he  associated  with  men  who  did  not  keep  the  law  (Mark  2  :  16), 
allowed  his  disciples  to  disregard  the  fasts  (Mark  2:18),  and  perhaps 
most  of  all  because  he  did  not  keep  the  sabbath  as  the  scribes  taught 
that  the  law  required  it  to  be  kept  (Mark  2  :  23 — 3  :  6;  John  5  :  16-18). 
Thus,  as  so  many  others  have  done,  they  identified  their  interpretation 
of  the  scripture  with  the  scripture  and  divine  law  itself,  and  because 
he  opposed  the  interpretation  they  charged  him  with  hostility  to  the 
scriptures.  "The  law  or  the  prophets":  the  scriptures  which  we  call 
the  Old  Testament.    But  it  is  evidently  the  moral  teachings  of  both  law 


102    >\:i^rc  :^i^    >: «  -   LiFE^OF  christ 

and  prophets  that  Jesus  is  speaking  of,  not  the  predictions.  "I  came, 
not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil":  Jesus  denies  the  charges  against  him, 
and  declares  his  devotion  to  the  law,  and  (vss.  i8,  19)  its  permanence 
in  the  new  kingdom.  This  Jesus  could  do,  although  he  disre- 
garded or  disapproved  certain  statutes  of  the  law  (for  example  respect- 
ing fasting,  Mark  2  :  19,  20;  clean  and  unclean  meats,  Mark  7:  17-19, 
and  divorce,  Matt.  19:7-9),  because  he  identified  the  law  with  its 
great  principle  of  love  (Matt.  7:12;  22  :  37-40).  This  was  to  him  the 
law  and  the  prophets,  and  individual  statutes  were  of  value  and  of  per- 
manent authority  only  in  so  far  as  they  embodied  and  expressed  this 
central  principle.  This  was  just  the  opposite  position  from  that  which 
the  Pharisees  took.  They  gave  all  heed  to  the  statutes  as  authoritative 
in  themselves,  and  lost  sight  of  the  principles.  Hence  the  conflict 
between  them  and  Jesus.  Vs.  20,  "For  except  your  righteousness," 
etc.:  a  proof  of  his  statement  in  vs.  17.  So  far  from  destroying  the 
law,  as  the  Pharisees  charged,  he  demanded  a  righteousness  so  much 
higher  than  theirs  that  no  one  whose  morality  was  not  superior  to  that 
of  the  Pharisees  could  have  part  in  the  kingdom.  The  verses  that  fol- 
low show  that  the  superiority  of  the  righteousness  which  he  sought  was 
not  in  the  doing  of  more  things,  in  the  keeping  of  more  rules,  than  the 
Pharisees,  but  in  its  being  a  matter  of  heart,  not  of  outward  deed  only. 

III.  The  righteousness  of  the  kingdom  in  contrast  with  prevalent 
teachings  of  the  synagogue^  5  :2i-48. — In  these  paragraphs  Jesus  gives 
several  illustrations  of  his  statement  in  vs.  20.  The  connection  with 
that  verse,  and  the  use  of  the  phrase  "Ye  have  heard,"  which  indicates 
that  he  is  speaking  of  the  teaching  to  which  his  hearers  have  been 
accustomed  to  listen  (in  the  synagogue),  not  to  what  they  have  read, 
shows  that  Jesus  is  contrasting  his  teaching,  not  with  that  of  the  Old 
Testament,  but  with  that  of  the  synagogue  teachers  —  the  scribes  of  the 
Pharisees.  The  people  of  his  day  sat  at  the  feet  of  these  scribes,  and 
knew  even  Moses  only  as  the  scribes  interpreted  him.  It  is  against 
their  teachings  that  Jesus  directs  his  criticism.  Only  he  is  not  careful 
to  avoid  criticising  even  the  law  if,  in  order  to  correct  the  erroneous 
teachings  of  the  scribes,  he  must  also  correct  Moses.  He  had  within 
himself  a  standard  higher  than  scribe  or  prophet  or  lawgiver.  And 
this  fact  gives  all  the  greater  weight  to  his  approval  of  the  core  of  the 
Old  Testament. 

5:21-26.  Vs.  21,  "the  judgment":  not  the  final  judgment,  but 
the  action  of  the  local  court.  Since  such  a  court  could  deal  only  with 
actual  murder,  the  teaching  of  the  scribes  tended  to  direct  attention 


CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE SERMON    ON    THE    MOUNT        IO3 

solely  to  the  outward  act.  Jesus  goes  below  the  act  to  the  state  of 
heart,  and  condemns  anger  and  contempt  more  strongly  than  the 
scribes  had  condemned  murder  itself.  Vs.  24,  "leave  there  thy  gift," 
etc.:  no  act  of  worship  can  be  acceptable  to  God  while  there  is  in  the 
heart  hatred  to  a  brother,  which  leaves  unrighted  a  wrong  done  to  him. 
Vss.  25,. 26  are  best  understood  in  their  connection  in  Luke  12  :  58,  59. 

5:27-30.  See  Exod.  20:14.  Substantially  the  same  principle 
which  is  above  applied  to  murder  and  hatred  is  now  applied  to  adul- 
tery and  covetousness  of  another's  wife  (by  implication  also  to  all 
unlawful  desire):  uot  the  act  only,  but  the  cherishing  of  unlawful 
desire  is  wrong. 

5  :  31,  32.  See  Deut.  24  :  1-4.  In  like  manner  in  the  matter  of  a 
husband  retaining  or  putting  away  a  wife  who  has  become  distasteful 
to  him,  Jesus  puts  the  principle  of  love  which  will,  if  needful,  endure 
and  be  patient  and  longsuffering  (i  Cor.  13  :  7)  in  the  place  of  literal 
conformity  to  the  statute. 

5  '•  33~37-  The  Old  Testament  permitted  the  confirmation  of  one's 
promise  with  an  oath,  and  only  forbade  one,  having  made  such  a 
promise,  to  break  it  (see  Lev.  19:  12;  Numb.  30:  2).  The  object  of 
the  statute  was  to  secure  fidelity  to  one's  promises.  But  the  Pharisees, 
by  their  casuistry,  especially  by  laying  emphasis  on  the  reference  to 
Jehovah  as  that  which  made  the  oath  binding  (see  vss.  33-36  and 
compare  Matt.  23:16-22),  had  perverted  it  into  an  expedient  by 
which  to  escape  from  keeping  a  promise.  Jesus,  finding  this  mis- 
chievous practice  in  vogue,  sweeps  the  whole  system  away,  bidding 
men  stop  swearing,  make  simple  affirmations,  and  abide  by  these. 

5  :  38-42.  There  are  two  classes  of  passages  in  the  Old  Testament, 
those  which  permit  or  encourage  retaliation  (see  Exod.  21:23-25; 
Deut.  19  :  18-21 ;  23  :  5,  6;  25  :  17-19)  and  those  which  forbid  it  (Exod. 
23  :  4,  5  ;  Lev.  19:17,  18,  33-35).  Jesus  implies  that  in  the  current 
teaching  of  the  time  the  former  was  (often,  if  not  constantly)  empha- 
sized. In  direct  opposition  to  this  type  of  teaching,  he  bids  his  dis- 
ciples suffer  wrong  rather  than  do  it,  and  to  overcome  evil  with  good. 

5  :  43-47.  Against  the  injunction  of  the  scribes  which  limited  to 
one's  neighbor  the  duty  of  love,  and  encouraged  the  hatred  of  one's 
enemies  (see  Lev.  19  :  17,  18;  Prov.  15:1;  20:22;  24:28,29;  but  also 
Deut.  23  :  5,  6 ;  25  :  17-19  ;  Ps.  109),  Jesus  enjoins  love  even'of  those 
who  are  doing  us  harm,  bidding  his  disciples  take  their  Father  in 
heaven  as  their  pattern  in  these  matters.  Herein  Jesus  gives  the 
central  principle  of  all  his  teaching  concerning  conduct  toward  others  : 


104  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

we  are  to  love  our  fellow-raen  as  God  loves  men,  both  the  just  and  the 
unjust.  This  love  is,  of  course,  not  approval,  but  desire  for  their  well- 
being  such  as  leads  us  to  seek  to  help  them  and  do  them  good. 

5  :  48,  '*  Ye  therefore  shall  be  perfect,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is 
perfect":  an  injunction  which  sums  up  all  the  teaching  of  (-his  section 
(vss.  21-47)  aiid  is  to  be  taken  in  its  obvious  meaning  without  abate- 
ment or  qualification.  To  love  men  as  God  loves  them,  friends  and 
enemies  alike,  is  to  be  morally  perfect.     See  on  7:12. 

IV.  6  :  1-18.  In  these  verses  the  righteousness  required  in  the  new 
kingdom  is  contrasted  with  the  ostentatious  and  hypocrital  conduct 
of  the  Pharisees,  as  in  5  :  21-48  it  had  been  compared  with  the  teach- 
ings of  the  scribes.  Jesus  is  still  expounding  the  thought  of  5  :  20. 
Vs.  I,  "righteousness":  good  conduct,  right  deeds.  This  verse 
expresses  the  general  principle  of  which  the  following  verses  give 
three  illustrations,  alms,  fasting,  and  prayer,  which,  there  is  reason  to 
believe,  were  regarded  by  the  Jews  as  the  chief  elements  of  religion. 
Except  for  the  addition  of  special  matter  about  prayer  (vss.  7-15), 
each  of  these  three  examples  is  dealt  with  in  exactly  parallel  language 
(almsgiving,  2-4;  prayer,  5,  6;  fasting,  16-18),  the  teaching  in  each 
case  being  that  the  righteous  act  should  not  be  done  ostentatiously, 
but  secretly  as  in  the  presence  of  God.  The  special  injunctions  con- 
cerning prayer  added  in  vss.  7-15  guard  against  an  error  to  which  the 
Gentiles  (rather  than  the  Pharisees)  are  prone,  give  an  outline  of 
prayer,  teaching  for  what  and  in  what  spirit  we  ought  to  pray,  and 
warn  against  an  unforgiving  spirit,  which  makes  true  prayer  impossible. 

V.  Single-eyed  service  of  God  and  simple  trust  in  him  enjoined, 
6  :  19-34. —  In  this  paragraph  the  contrast  with  Pharisaism  is  no  longer 
present.  The  central  thought  is  that  Jesus'  disciples,  the  members  of 
the  kingdom,  ought  not  to  be  seeking  to  pile  up  earthly  and  material 
treasures,  but,  trusting  God  to  care  for  them  and  provide  for  their  wants, 
should  devote  themselves  to  the  interests  of  his  kingdom.  Thus  they 
will  live,  not  a  selfish  life,  seeking  their  own  interests,  nor  a  divided 
life,  devoting  half  their  energy  to  serving  God  and  half  to  accumu- 
lating for  themselves,  nor  an  anxious  life,  worrying  lest  they  shall  not  be 
provided  for,  but  with  one  purpose  will  serve  God  and  his  kingdom. 

VI.  Judgment  of  others  forbidden,  7  : 1-6. — The  error  against  which 
these  verses  warn  the  disciples  is  one  of  which  the  Pharisees  were 
conspicuously  guilty.  The  one  principle  of  love  in  which  Jesus  sums 
up  all  duty  to  our  fellow-men  is  the  corrective  of  this  fault  also.  See 
on  7:  12. 


CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE SERMON    ON    THE    MOUNT        IO5 

VII.  Confidence  in  God's  wUlingness  to  bless,  7  :  7-1 1. — The  thought 
of  this  paragraph  is  akin  on  one  side  to  that  of  6  :  7-13,  especially  vs.  8, 
and  on  the  other  to  that  of  6:  19-34.  It  teaches  trust  in  God  and 
expression  of  it  in  prayer.  Like  the  passages  just  named  it  is  found  in 
Luke  in  a  different  connection.     See  Luke,  chaps.  11,  12. 

VIII.  "The  Golden  Rule/'  7:12.— ''All  things,  therefore,  whatso- 
ever ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,"  etc.:  In  this  principle 
Jesus  sums  up  all  the  teaching  of  this  sermon,  so  far  as  the  conduct  of 
men  to  one  another  is  concerned.  In  the  light  of  this  great  principle 
all  specific  injunctions  are  to  be  understood.  Some  have  undertaken 
to  apply  such  sayings  as  "  Resist  not  him  that  is  evil,"  and,  *'  Give  to 
him  thatasketh  of  thee,"  literally  as  fixed  rules.  But  this  is  utterly  to 
misinterpret  Jesus.  This  whole  discourse  is  a  criticism  of  the  Pharisees 
for  making  morality  consist  in  a  literal  keeping  of  the  rules  of  the  Old 
Testament.  It  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  it  simply  imposes  a  new 
set  of  rules.  Others,  feeling  that  a  literal  obedience  to  these  rules  is 
impossible,  if  not  also  harmful,  give  up  all  attempt  to  obey  the  teach- 
ings of  this  discourse.  Both  are  wrong.  In  this  verse,  and  in  such 
other  verses  as  5  :  44,  we  find  the  principle,  which  we  ought  always  to 
strive  to  follow.  The  single  precepts  are  intended  to  correct  the  self- 
ishness and  narrowness  that  Jesus  saw  about  him,  and  to  point  out 
some  of  the  many  ways  in  which  the  principle  may  be  applied.  They, 
too,  are  to  be  obeyed,  always  in  spirit,  and  in  letter  when  such  an 
obedience  is  consistent  with  the  principle.  If  a  man  would  follow 
Jesus,  he  must  not  resist  an  enemy  in  the  spirit  of  revenge;  nor  should 
he  refuse  to  give  to  a  beggar  from  a  selfish  motive.  If  he  resist  or 
withhold,  he  must  do  so  because  love,  regard  for  the  highest  well- 
being  of  society  in  general,  requires  it.  "  For  this  is  the  law  and  the 
prophets"  :  In  this  one  principle  is  summed  up  all  that  the  Old  Tes- 
tament teaches  concerning  man's  duty  to  man.  Whatever  else  there  is 
in  the  Old  Testament  is  either  application  of  this,  or  the  fault  and 
defect  which  belong  to  it  because  God's  revelation  was  made  through 
and  to  imperfect  men. 

IX.  The  practice  of  righteousness,  not  profession  or  hearing  only, 
enjoined,  7  :  13-^27. — These  closing  paragraphs  emphasize  the  seriousness 
of  the  task  which  Jesus  is  laying  upon  his  disciples.  Righteousness 
is  not  attained  without  effort  (vss.  13,  14).  They  must  be  on  their  guard 
against  false  teachers  who  would  lead  them  astray,  but  these  can  be 
detected  by  their  lives  (vss.  15-20).  And  finally  the  disciples  are 
warned  against  a  common  error  of  the  Pharisees,  fancying  that  mere 


I06  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

profession  would  meet  God's  requirements.  It  is  not  hearing  Jesus' 
teaching,  it  is  not  saying  "  Lord,  Lord,"  that  meets  the  demand  of  the 
kingdom ;  it  is  doing  what  he  teaches.  Only  he  who  does  this  is 
really  building  on  the  rock  (vss.  21-27).  Thus  the  sermon  ends,  as  it 
began,  with  an  insistence  on  the  high  standard  of  morality  in  the 
kingdom.  And  this  morality  is  one  both  of  heart  and  of  life,  of  prin- 
ciple and  of  practice. 

^  126.  Notes  on  §49,  Luke  6  :  20-49. — This  discourse  reported  by 
Luke  differs  from  the  one  just  studied  in  Matthew  almost  entirely  in 
omitting  a  large  part  of  what  is  given  in  Matthew.  The  order  of  topics 
common  to  the  two  is  almost  identical. 

Vss.  20-22.  Compare  Matt.  5  :  4-12.  Vs.  20,  "blessed  are  ye  poor"  : 
Luke  emphasizes  the  actual  poverty  of  those  to  whom  Jesus  spoke,  Mat- 
thew the  effect  of  it  in  the  consciousness  of  need.  One  of  the  worst 
things  about  riches  is  that  they  give  men  a  sense  of  self-sufficiency. 
See  Matt  19:23,  24;  Mark  10:23-25.  Vs.  21,  "ye  that  hunger 
now":  it  is  physical  hunger  which  is  primarily  meant,  yet  not  as  a 
blessing  in  itself,  but  as  helping  to  create  the  desire  for  the  best  things. 
Compare  Matt.  5  :  6.  Just  how  these  different  reports  of  Jesus'  words 
arose  it  is  impossible  to  say.  But  they  probably  represent  two  sides 
of  his  real  thought. 

Vss.  24-26.  No  parallel  in  Matthew.  These  are  the  correlatives  of 
the  beatitudes.  On  vs.  24  compare  Mark  10  :  23-25;  on  vs.  25  com- 
pare Luke  16  :  19-31  ;  on  vs.  26  compare  Matt.  23  :  5-8. 

Vss.  27-36.  In  these  verses  Luke  gives  the  same  teachings  which 
are  in  Matt.  5  :  38-48,  only  omitting  all  comparison  with  the  cur- 
rent teachings  of  the  synagogue,  as  if  writing  for  Gentiles  only. 
Vs.  31  contains  the  golden  rule,  which  in  Matthew  stands  much  later, 
in  7  :  12.  Vs.  36  has  "  merciful  "  instead  of  "  perfect  "  (Matt.  5  :  48),  thus 
emphasizing  the  particular  element  of  character  which  the  preceding 
verses  have  spoken  of. 

Vss.  37-45.  Compare  Matt.  7  :  1-5.  Luke's  report  is  at  this  point 
fuller  than  Matthew's. 

Vss.  43—45.  Compare  Matt.  7  :  16-19.  But  the  connection  is 
different.  In  Matthew  these  words  set  forth  the  test  by  which  false 
teachers  can  be  distinguished  from  the  true.  Here  they  enforce  the 
warning  against  undertaking  to  judge  one  another.  In  Matt.  12  :  33-35 
they  have  still  another  connection  and  force. 

Vss.  46-49.  Compare  Matt.  7  :  21-27.  Matthew  and  Luke  end 
alike,  as  they  began  alike.     We  have  here,  in  all  probability,  not  two 


CHOOSING    OF    THE    TWELVE SERMON    ON    THE    MOUNT        IO7 

discourses,  but  two  reports  of  one  discourse,  neither,  however,  com- 
plete, and  the  longer  one  at  least  containing  some  matter  delivered 
on  other  occasions. 


^127.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.— (i)*  In  what 
regions  had  the  fame  of  Jesus  spread  abroad  at  the  time  of  the 
choosing  of  the  Twelve  ?  (2)*  Under  what  circumstances  did 
he  choose  the  twelve  apostles?  (3)*  For  what  did  he  choose 
them,  and  what  did  they  become  by  his  choice  of  them  ?  (4)* 
What  facts  indicate  the  importance  which  he  attached  to  this 
act?      (5)*   Name  the  apostles. 

(6)*  To  whom  was  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  addressed? 
(7)  Can  the  statements  of  this  discourse  made  in  the  second 
person  be  applied  to  others  than  Jesus'  disciples?  (8)*  What 
is  the  theme  of  this  discourse,  as  given  in  Matthew?  (9)  In 
what  marked  respect  (aside  from  length)  does  Luke's  report  in 
6:  20-49  differ  from  Matthew's?  (10)  Name  (and  fix  in  mind) 
the  nine  main  divisions  of  the  discourse  in  Matthew.  (11)  In 
how  many  of  these  divisions  is  there  a  contrast  expressed  or 
implied  between  the  righteousness  of  the  kingdom  and  that  of 
the  Pharisees  ?  (12)*  What  kind  of  persons  did  Jesus  desire  as 
the  material  out  of  which  to  build  his  kingdom  (Matt.  5  :  3-12)? 
(13)*  What  great  responsibility  did  Jesus  lay  upon  his  d'.ociples 
(5  :  13-16)?  (14)*  What  led  the  Pharisees  to  look  upon  Jesus 
as  hostile  to  the  law  and  a  perverter  of  morals?  (15)  What 
was  it  that  Jesus  really  opposed?  (16)*  What  was  his  real 
attitude  to  the  law  ?  (17)  Against  what  are  Jesus'  criticisms  in 
Matt.  5:21-48  primarily  directed?  (18)*  What  is  the  one 
positive  and  all-inclusive  principle  which  he  teaches  in  place  of 
all  rules  of  conduct?  (19)  Against  what  is  the  criticism  in 
6:  1-18  directed  ?     (20)  What  positive  principle  is  here  taught? 

(21)  Against  what  vice  of    Pharisaism    is   7:13-27   directed? 

(22)  In  what  form  does  that  vice  appear  today?  (23)*  Putting 
together  the  teaching  of  5:21-48;  7:12;  and  7:13-27,  what 
kind  of  morality  does  Jesus  require  of  his  disciples  ?  (24)  What 
are  the  chief  differences  between  Luke's  report  of  this  discourse 


I08  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

and  Matthew's?  (25)*  Ought  the  teachings  of  Jesus  in  this 
discourse  to  be  obeyed?  (26)  Are  they  generally  obeyed? 
(27)  Can  they  be  obeyed  in  a  selfish,  self-sufficient  spirit?      See 

Matt.  5:3,  4,  5- 

^  128.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xi  of  your  "  Life  of  Christ" 
(inserting  the  title  of  Part  V).     The  following  outline  is  suggested  : 

1.  The  situation  at  the  opening  of  this  period  ;  the  success  thus 
far  attained  ;  the  attitude  of  the  various  classes  toward  Jesus. 

2.  The  choosing  of  the  Twelve  ;  the  men  ;  their  work  ;  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  act. 

3.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount;  the  place  ;  the  occasion  of  the  dis- 
course ;  the  persons  addressed ;  the  theme  ;  the  main  divisions  ;  the 
central  teachings  ;  is  it  to  be  obeyed? 

^129.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  successive  calls  of  the  four  fishermen. 

2.  What  the  disciples  knew  and  believed  about  Jesus  when  they 
were  chosen  to  be  apostles. 

3.  The  relation  of  the  choice  of  the  Twelve  to  the  organization  of 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

4.  The  relation  between  the  work  for  which  the  apostles  were  first 
appointed  and  that  which  fell  to  them  after  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus. 

5.  Jesus'  attitude  toward  Pharisaism. 

6.  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  Old  Testament,  (a)  its  central  moral 
principles,  (d)  its  specific  statutes  on  moral  and  ceremonial  matters. 

7.  The  authority  of  Jesus  :  subject  to  or  superior  to  that  of  the  Old 
Testament  ? 

8.  Can  the  ethical  teachings  of  Jesus  be  practically  applied  today  ? 


CHAPTER  XII. 


A    PREACHING    TOUR    IN    GALILEE. 


:-^  >'U 


§  50.  The  centurion's  servant. 

Matt.  8  : 5-13.  Luke  7  :  i-io.       ^-^    ^    J2^-^ 

§  51.  The  raising  of  the  widow's  son  at  Nain.  ^  C?  ^^ ( 

Luke  7:11-17.  ^  \ 

§  52.  John  the  Baptist's  last  message.  /]  a/ 

Matt.  11:2-19.  Luke7:r8-35.    (  ^^^ 

§  53.  Anointing  of  Jesus  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee^^^-  ^ 

Luke  7  :  36-56^ 
§  54.  Christ's  companions  on  his  second  preaching  tour. 

Luke  8:1-3. 


^130.  Notes  on  §50,  Luke  7:1-10. — Vs.  i,  "Capernaum":  See 
^[98.  Vs.  2,  ''centurion":  an  officer  in  armies  organized  on  the  Roman 
model  and  in  charge  of  a  company  of  fifty  to  one  hundred  men.  He 
was  of  approximately  the  same  grade  as  a  capta^in  in  our  army,  but 
was  seldom  transferred  or  promoted.  In  the  present  instance  the 
centurion  was  a  gentile  in  the  service  of  Herod  Antipas,  and  was 
evidently  a  man  of  wealth.  Vs.  3,  **sent  unto  him  the  elders":  probably 
the  elders  of  the  synagogue  that  he  had  built.  That  they  commend 
him  as  a  person  worthy  to  be  aided  by  Jesus,  since  he  was  so  generously 
disposed  to  the  Jews,  shows  that  he  was  a  man  of  high  character.  He 
was,  however,  probably  not  a  proselyte.  Vs.  6,  "I  am  not  worthy," 
etc.:  These  words  speak  volumes  for  the  man's  humility,  and  also  tell 
of  the  treatment  probably  accorded  him  by  other  rabbis.  A  strict 
legalist  regarded  it  as  ceremonially  defiling  to  enter  a  gentile's  house. 
Vs.  7,  "say  the  word":  He  is  sure  that  Jesus  can  heal  his  servant,  if  he 
only  chooses  to  command  the  disease  to  leave  him.  Vs.  8,  "man  set 
under  authority,"  etc.:  The  argument  is  plain.  The  centurion  knows 
the  power  resident  in  a  superior's  word  of  command.  He  has  faith 
enough  to  believe  that  an  equal  power  is  in  the  command  of  Jesus. 
Vs.  9,  "  marveled  at  him":  Jesus  was  as  capable  of  being  surprised  as 
any  man.  In  this  case  surprise  came  from  the  fact  that  a  gentile's 
faith  should  have  surpassed  the  Jews'.      C/".  Matt.  15  :  22-28  ;  Luke  18:  8. 

Matthew  adds  at  this  point  two  verses  (8 :  11,  12)  which  emphasize  the 
readiness  of  the  gentiles  to  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  compared 
with  the  unwillingness  of  the  Jews.     "  Sit  down,"  etc. :  a  figure  of  speech 

109 


I  10  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

with  the  Jews  to  represent  the  joys  of  the  expected  kingdom.  "Sons 
of  the  kingdom":  /.  e.,  the  Jews.  They  supposed  they  were  guaran- 
teed the  kingdom  because  they  were  sons  of  Abraham.  We  have  here 
the  clear  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  the  universal  rather  than  Jewish 
character  of  the  fraternity  he  was  founding.  Vs.  13.  Notice  that 
Jesus  does  not  say  the  faith  healed,  but  he  himself  heals  in  answer 
to  faith.  No  matter  how  much  the  centurion  believed,  no  cure  would 
have  followed  had  Jesus  seen  fit  to  do  or  say  nothing. 

^131.  Notes  on  §51!,  Luke  7:11-17. — Vs.  11,  *'Nain":  a  small 
town  in  Galilee  at  some  distance  from  Nazareth  and  about  twenty-five 
miles  from  Capernaum.  It  is  today  represented  by  a  few  mud  huts 
and  tombs  cut  in  the  rocks.  Perhaps  the  procession  was  going  to  one 
of  these.  Vs.  12,  "much  people  of  the  city  was  with  her":  It  was 
customary  for  those  met  by  a  funeral  procession  to  join  it  as  a  sign  of 
respect.  In  this  procession  would  also  be  the  hired  wallers  and  the 
musicians.  Notice  the  apparent  order  of  the  procession.  Jesus  met 
first  the  mother,  then  the  bier  and  its  bearers.  Vs.  13.  The  tenderness 
of  Jesus  appears  in  his  words  to  the  mother.  Vs.  14,  "bier":  The  Jews 
did  not  bury  their  dead  in  closed  wooden  coffins,  but  carried  them 
on  a  bier  to  a  tomb  where  they  were  laid  in  little  niches  as  in  the 
catacombs,  except  that  they  were  not  walled  in.  The  nearest  approach 
to  a  coffin  was  a  long  open  basket  made  of  wickerwork.  Burial  was 
always  soon  after  death.  Vs.  16.  Both  the  fear  and  the  thanksgiving 
were  natural.  But  it  is  to  be  observed  that  no  one  thought  Jesus 
was  the  Christ ;  he  was  simply  another  great  prophet  at  last  sent  by 
God  to  his  people. 

^  132.  Notes  on  §  52,  Luke  7  :  18-35. — Vs.  18,  "the  disciples  of  John 
told  him  of  all  these  things":  Matt.  11:2  says  that  John  heard,  in  the 
prison  the  works  of  the  Christ.  For  the  reason  of  this  imprisonment 
see  Mark  6:17,  18.  Josephus,  Antiquities,  xviii,  5,  2,  also  states  that 
Herod  Antipas  feared  the  political  effects  of  John's  preaching.  He 
was  now  in  the  castle  of  Machserus,  where  evidently  he  was  given 
some  liberty,  for  he  was  in  communication  with  his  disciples.  Vs. 
19,  "sent  them  to  the  Lord":  It  is  easy  to  imagine  how  inter 
ested  and  perplexed  John  must  have  been.  Jesus  in  his  ministry 
of  love  certainly  did  not  seem  a  judge  punishing  sinners  such  as 
John  had  expected.  {Cf.  ^48.)  This  probably  gave  rise  to  the 
question,  "Art  thou  he  that  cometh  ? "  John  had  spoken  of  the 
Christ  as  one  who  was  to  come  (Luke  3:16).  The  question  was 
equivalent   to  asking  whether  Jesus  was  the   Christ.     Vs.  22  :     The 


PREACHING    TOUR    IN    GALILEE  '     III 

passages  which  Jesus  used  (Isa.  35  :  5  ;  61:1)  were  interpreted  messian- 
ically.  Jesus  shows  that  he  is  fulfilling  them.  His  reference  is  to  his 
cures  and  preaching  alike.  Vs.  23  :  a  reference  to  the  difficulty  which,  as 
Jesus  saw,  had  been  caused  by  the  great  divergence  between  the  popu- 
lar expectation  of  the  Christ  and  his  own  revelation  of  true  messianic 
work.  The  figure  is  that  of  a  man  stumbling  over  a  stone.  Jesus  was 
thus  indirectly  appealing  to  John,  for  his  own  good,  to  revise  his  expec- 
tations according  to  reality.  Vs.  24.  Jesus  now  begins  a  defense  of 
John  against  the  very  probable  charge  of  moral  weakness.  He  appeals 
to  the  crowd's  former  judgment  of  John.  The  figures  he  uses  express 
weakness  and  love  of  ease,  which  John  never  exhibited.  Vs.  25, 
'*in  soft  raiment":  doubtless  a  good  description  of  the  effemin- 
ate courtiers  of  Herod  Antipas.  Vs.  26,  "yea,  I  say":  introduces 
Jesus'  own  opinion  of  John.  Vs.  27.  The  words  come  with  slight 
variation  from  Mai.  3:1.  It  was  because  he  was  a  messenger  of  the 
Christ  that  John  was  more  than  a  prophet.  Vs.  28  contains,  not 
only  Jesus'  final  estimate  of  John,  but  also  his  estimate  of  the  worth  of 
the  kingdom  of  God.  By  implication  he  excludes  John  from  the 
kingdom.  This  does  not  mean  that  John  was  a  bad  man,  but  simply 
that  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  group  of  men  and  women  whose 
inestimable  privilege  it  was  to  be  actual  disciples  of  Jesus,  hear  his 
teaching,  and  come  to  learn  how  his  character  revealed  God's  love 
rather  than  his  awful  justice.  Why,  then,  need  a  Christian  today  envy 
or  imitate  a  prophet  ?  By  Jesus'  own  words,  he  is  more  privileged 
than  the  greatest  prophet  who  ever  lived.  Vs.  29,  "  all  the  people, 
when  they  heard  "  :  /.  e.,  the  preaching  of  John.  "Justified  God": 
/.  e.,  declared  by  being  baptized  that  they  approved  of  the  plan  of 
God  of  which  John's  mission  was  a  part.  To  justify  is  to  declare 
or  treat  as  righteous.  Usually  it  is  regarded  as  the  prerogative  of 
God,  but  here,  by  a  bold  figure,  God,  as  it  were,  is  represented  as  being 
put  on  trial  by  men.  The  way  in  which  men  can  declare  him  righteous 
is  by  accepting  promptly  that  plan  which  is  clearly  his.  In  the 
present  case  it  was  done  by  being  baptized  by  John.  {Cf.  If  57.)  Vs. 
30,  "the  Pharisees  and  lawyers":  /.  e.,  the  representatives  of  religion 
in  its  legal  aspects.  "Rejected,"  or  rather  "frustrated,"  "made  of  no 
avail,"  so  far  as  they  were  concerned.  Their  action  was  precisely  the 
opposite  of  that  of  the  people,  and  the  results  were  correspondingly 
different.  If  a  man  follows  God's  plan,  he  declares  God  righteous  by 
that  very  act  ;  if  he  rejects  God's  plan  and  chooses  his  own,  he  not 
only  pronounces  God  guilty  of  unrighteousness,  but  —  since  God's  plans 


112   ^  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

are  gracious  —  loses  the  blessings  that  might  have  been  his  had  he  but 
acted  in  accordance  with  the  divine  plan.  The  way  to  get  blessing  from 
God  is  consciously  to  do  God's  will,  even  though  it  require  struggle. 
Notice  how  explicitly  Jesus  recognizes  that  John's  preaching,  though  so 
different  from  his  own,  was  also  a  message  from  God.  C/".  ^[^  55,  282.  Vss. 
31-35  are  a  delightful  use  of  children's  plays  to  illustrate  thecaptious  atti- 
tude of  the  Jews  toward  John  and  Jesus.  The  children  are  in  two  groups. 
One  is  trying  to  get  the  other  to  play  some  game,  but  is  unsuccessful 
because  of  the  other's  immovable  determination  to  be  satisfied  with 
nothing — neither  with  a  joyous  game  of  wedding  nor  with  a  solemn 
game  of  funeral.  So,  said  Jesus,  was  it  with  the  Jews.  They  would  not 
be  satisfied  with  an  ascetic  like  John  the  Baptist,  nor  with  his  precise 
opposite,  the  genial  and  social  Son  of  man.  {Cf.^  1 34.)  "  And  wisdom 
was  justified,"  etc.:  Probably  sadly  ironical.  The  scribes  claimed  so 
much  wisdom,  and  yet  this  fastidious,  sanctimonious  captiousness  is 
the  outcome  of  it !  Or  possibly  not  ironical,  but  an  expression  of  the 
abiding  faith  of  Jesus  in  the  ultimate  vindication  of  wisdom  by  the 
course  of  conduct  to  which  it  prompts. 

^133.  Notes  on  §52,  Matt.  11  :  2-19. —  Matthew's  narrative  differs 
from  Luke's  mainly  in  being  slightly  more  condensed.  But  vss.  11-15 
(in  place  of  Luke's  vss.  29,  30)  are  not  found  in  Luke.  Vs.  12, "  from  the 
days  of  John  the  Baptist  until  now" :  /.  <f . ,  from  the  time  of  the  announcing 
of  the  immediately  coming  Christ  until  the  time  of  speaking.  That 
was  practically  the  period  of  Jesus'  own  ministry.  *'  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  suffereth  violence,"  etc.:  The  figure  is  that  of  soldiers  carrying 
a  city  by  storm  ;  that  which  it  illustrates  is  the  difficulty  that  lay  in  the 
Jews'  accepting  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  Of  this,  John's  doubt  was  an  instance. 
Vs.  13,  "for  all  the  prophets":  This  is  given  as  a  reason  for  the  diffi- 
culty of  faith.  (Compare  what  is  possibly  a  more  exact  report  of  the 
words,  Luke  16:16.)  It  was  easy  for  the  Jews  to  believe  the  prophe- 
cies that  a  Christ  would  come,  for  they  believed  that  he  would  be  the 
sort  of  person  they  wanted  him  to  be.  They  found  their  own  sort  of 
Christ  in  the  prophecies.  (C/".  ^50.)  Even  John  did  not  have  a  sufficiently 
complete  foreview  of  the  Coming  One.  For  such  persons  to  accept 
Jesus  as  the  Christ  meant  that  they  had  to  conquer  prejudice  and,  so  to 
speak,  conquer  their  way  into  the  kingdom.  Perhaps  the  hardest  day 
for  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Christ  was  between  his  baptism  and  resurrection, 
and  this  fact  Jesus  recognizes.  At  the  same  time  he  congratu- 
lates those  who  prefer  reality  to  their  preconceptions.  Vs.  14,  ''this 
is  Elijah  "  :  /.  e.,  the  one  who  introduces  the  messianic  era  ;  cf.  Mai.  4  :  5. 


PREACHING    TOUR    IN    GALILEE  I  I  3 

'*If  ye  are  willing  to  receive  it "  :  It  was  nearly  as  hard  to  believe  in 
John  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Christ  as  in  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  Cf. 
Mark  9:13.  Vs.  15,  "  He  that  hath  ears,"  etc.:  A  call  to  discover  more 
than  a  mere  surface  meaning  in  the  words  just  uttered. 

^134.  Notes  on  §53,  Luke  7:36-50. — Vs.  36.  The  invitation 
from  Simon  was  evidence  that  the  break  between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees 
was  not  complete.  "  Sat  down ":  better,  "reclined";  perhaps  on  a 
couch,  perhaps  on  a  rug  spread  on  the  divan  or  raised  portion  of  the 
floor.  Vs.  37.  It  must  be  recalled  that  the  houses  in  Palestine  were 
less  closed  than  in  Europe  or  America,  and  that  privacy  was  far  less 
observed.  "Sinner":  Bruce  {Exposiior's  Greek  Testament)  thinks  this 
happened  in  Capernaum,  and  that  the  woman  had  been  a  guest  at  Levi's 
dinner  (Luke  5:27  f.).  "Alabaster  cruse  of  ointment"  :  Jews,  like 
other  persons  of  their  time,  used  such  articles  freely  in  special  toilets. 
Vs.  38.  As  Jesus  reclined  during  the  meal,  it  would  be  easy  to  come 
up  behind  him.  "She  began  to  wet  his  feet  with  her  tears":  Evi- 
dently this  was  unintentional  and  led  her  to  the  impulse  to  dry  his  feet 
with  her  hair.  The  other  acts  of  this  repentant  woman  are  marks  of 
her  profound  gratitude  for  release  from  sin.  Vs.  39.  Note  the  repe- 
tition of  "Pharisee."  "He  spake  within  himself,"  etc.:  His  reflection 
is  an  evidence  of  the  meanness  of  his  nature.  The  one  thing  he  sup- 
posed a  prophet  would  do  —  remember  he  had  never  seen  one  —  would 
be  to  remove  himself  from  sinners  !  As  if  he  should  converse  only 
with  the  most  eminently  respectable  persons  !  His  argument  on  this 
narrow,  sactimonious  premise  is  correct.  The  woman  was  a  sinner ; 
but  Jesus  allowed  her  to  touch  him.  Therefore,  either  he  was  a  bad 
man,  or  else  he  did  not  perceive  what  sort  of  woman  she  was.  In  either 
case  he  could  not  be  a  prophet !  Vs.  40.  The  parable  Jesus  now  uses 
is  too  plain  to  need  comment.  "  Pence  "  :  better  "  denarii,"  a  little  coin, 
worth  about  15  cents,  but  with  far  more  purchasing  power.  The 
entire  conversation  is  marked  by  courtesy  on  the  part  of  both  Jesus  and 
Simon,  but  Jesus  also  shows,  both  that  he  knew  what  was  required  by 
conventional  politeness,  and  that  he  noticed  that  Simon  had  not 
treated  him  as  a  social  equal,  to  say  nothing  more.  Vs.  47.  Repent- 
ance with  God  means  forgiveness.  Thus  the  greatness  of  her  sinful- 
ness is  paralleled  by  the  greatness  of  her  love.  The  concealed  but 
implied  elements  are  an  equally  great  repentance  and  forgiveness. 
This  last  Jesus  boldly  states.  Vs.  50.  Faith  in  him  justified  forgiveness, 
since  it  had  led  the  woman  to  abandon  her  life  of  sin  and  had  touched 
the  depths  of  her  moral  nature.     She  could  well  go  out  to  live  in  peace. 


114 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


RUINS  OF  MAGDALA,  ON  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE 

^135.  Notes  on  §54,  Luke  8  :  1-3. — Vs.  i.  This  is  less  a  reference 
to  a  special  tour  of  Jesus  than  a  description  of  his  general  method. 
Vs.  2,  "  Mary  Magdalene"  :  Mary  from  Magdala,  a  town  at  the  south- 
ern end  of  the  plain  of  Gennesaret.  "Seven  devils":  she  had  been  a 
very  sick,  not  a  very  wicked  woman.  There  is  no  evidence  that  she 
was  the  woman  mentioned  in  ^  134.  Vs.  3,  "Herod's  steward"  :  /.  e.y 
the  official  in  charge  of  some  estate  of  Herod  or,  possibly,  the  person 
attending  to  the  domestic  affairs  of  the  royal  palace  in  Tiberias.  In  any 
case  he  must  have  been  a  man  of  some  importance,  and  his  wife  would 
be  likely  to  have  some  property  at  her  disposal.  The  other  women 
are  unknown.  Notice  that  we  have  here  an  explanation,  at  least  in  part^ 
of  how  Jesus  and  his  companions  could  live  without  manual  labor. 


^  1 36.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — ( i  )*  What  was 
the  religious  condition  of  the  centurion?  (2)*  What  was  the 
remarkable  thing  about  his  faith  ?  ( 3)  *  State  his  argument  care- 
fully. 


PREACHING  TOUR  IN  GALILEE  II5 

(4)*  Describe  the  raising  of  the  widow's  son.  (5)  Is  there 
any  evidence  that  anyone  exercised  faith  beforehand  in  the 
power  of  Jesus  to  raise  the  young  man  ? 

(6)*  Why  had  John  been  arrested  ?  (7)  Was  his  uncertainty 
natural  ?  What  sort  of  Christ  had  he  foretold?  (8)  What  is 
there  in  the  method  of  Jesus'  reply  that  is  worth  following 
today?  (9)*  How  does  Jesus  describe  John?  (10)  In  what 
particulars  are  modern  Christians  superior  to  John  ?  (11)  Why 
did  Jesus  think  men  had  to  struggle  to  become  his  followers? 
(12)  Are  there  as  many  difficulties  today  in  accepting  him  as 
our  guide  in  life?  (13)*  How  may  a  man  declare  God  to  be 
good?  (14)*  How  may  he  prevent  God's  plan  for  him  being 
of  any  service  to  him  ?     Illustrate  from  today's  experiences. 

(i  5)*  What  sort  of  a  man,  probably,  was  Simon  ?  (16)*  What 
things  would  it  have  been  polite  for  him  to  do  for  Jesus  ?  (17)* 
Describe  the  action  of  the  woman.  (18)  Give  the  illustration 
Jesus  used.  (19)  Is  it  necessary  to  be  a  great  sinner  in  order 
to  love  God  very  much  ?  Is  it  jiot  best  to  grow  naturally,  as 
Jesus  did,  into  a  great  love  of  God  ?  (20)  Can  a  man  sometimes 
be  so  very  virtuous  himself  as  to  be  harsh  in  his  judgments  of 
others  ?     How  can  such  a  condition  of  one's  heart  be  avoided  ? 

T[  137.  Constructive  Work.  —  Having  completed  the  preceding 
study,  let  the  pupil  write  the  chapter  for  his  "  Life  of  Christ,"  on  some 
such  plan  as  this  : 

CHAPTER  XIL 

A    PREACHING    TOUR    IN    GALILEE. 

1.  The  healing  of  the  centurion's  servant. 

2.  The  widow's  son  at  Nain. 

3.  Christ's  answer  to  the  message  of  John  the  Baptist. 

4.  Christ's  teaching  as  to  the  relation  of  love  and  forgiveness, 

5.  His  companions. 

^138.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  different  attitudes  of  Jesus  and  the  rabbis  toward  the  masses. 

2.  Teachings  given  by  Jesus  while  dining. 

3.  The  use  made  by  Jesus  in  his  teaching  of  the  character  and 
habits  of  children. 

4.  Mary  Magdalene. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

FURTHER     CONFLICT     WITH     THE     SCRIBES,     AND     TEACHING 
CONCERNING    THE    KINGDOM. 

§55.  Warnings  to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees:  "an  eternal  sin." 

Matt.  12  :  22-45.  Mark  3  :  i9<5-3o.  Luke  11  :  14-36. 

§  56.   The  true  kindred  of  Christ. 

Matt.  12  :  46-50.  Mark  3  :  31-35.  Luke  8  :  19-21. 

§57.  The  parables  by  the  sea. 

Matt.  13 :  1-53.  Mark  4  :  1-34.  Luke  8  :  4-28. 

Tf  139.  Notes  on  §55,  Mark  3  :  19^-30. — Vs.  21,  "He  is  beside  him- 
self": i.  <?.,  is  insane.  The  tremendous  energy  of  Jesus,  as  well  as  his 
hostility  to  Pharisaic  forms,  must  be  the  chief  explanation  of  this 
opinion  of  his  friends.  Vs.  22,  "scribes  which  came  down  from  Jeru- 
salem" :  perhaps  as  a  result  of  the  conflict  described  in  John,  chap.  5. 
"Beelzebub":  The  name  is  derived  from  that  of  a  heathen  deity 
(2  Kings  I  :  3),  who  at  one  time  was  regarded  as  a  great  enemy  of 
Jehovah.  In  the  time  of  Christ  the  name  meant,  probably,  "  lord  of 
the  lower  world,"  /.  ^.,  the  prince  of  the  evil  demons.  The  scribes 
attributed  the  power  of  Jesus  in  his  cures  of  demoniacs  to  his  being 
this  authoritative  demon  himself.  Vss.  23  ff.  The  arguments  is  so 
simple  as  to  be  its  own  best  interpreter.  Jesus  appealed  to  common 
human  experience  to  show  that  any  such  division  among  the  hosts  of 
hell  was  improbable.  The  first  argument  is  from  the  analogy  (vs.  23, 
"parable")  of  a  kingdom;  the  second,  from  that  of  a  household.  In 
his  positive  argument  (vs.  27)  he  gives  by  analogy  the  true  explanation 
of  his  success :  he  is  spoiling  the  kingdom  of  Satan  because  he  had 
conquered  its  king.     Vss.  28-30,  see  ^  140  (vss.  31,  32). 

^140.  Notes  on  §55,  Matt.  12:22-45. — Vs.  23,  "son  of  David": 
/.  e.y  the  Messiah.  The  wonderful  cures  wrought  by  Jesus  aroused  the 
hopes  of  the  people,  but  the  suspicion  and  evil  nature  of  the  Pharisees. 
Vs.  28.  Jesus  and  the  primitive  church  (Acts  10  :  38)  referred  his 
powers  to  the  spirit  of  God.  Vs.  30.  For  the  complementary  truth 
see  Luke  9:50.  Vs.  31.  These  profound  and  awful  words  of  Jesus 
are  to  be  understood  strictly  (see  Mark  3  :  30)  as  occasioned  by  the 
misinterpretation  of  his  mission  by  the  scribes  and  Pharisees.  "  Blas- 
phemy " :   an  utterance   derogatory  to    divine    things.      "  Blasphemy 

116 


TEACHING    CONCERNING    THE    KINGDOM  II7 

against  the  Holy  Spirit":  such  an  utterance  as  the  words  of  the 
scribes  show  them  to  be  in  danger  of  making?  Vs.  32,  "a  word 
against  the  Son  of  man":  Jesus  appreciated  the  difficulty  that  lay  in 
an  intellectual  apprehension  of  him  as  the  Christ ;  but  this  doubt 
did  not  need  to  express  itself  in  such  a  judgment  as  that  pronounced 
by  his  enemies.  "Shall  not  be  forgiven":  The  reason  is  given  in 
Mark  3  \2().  The  sin  itself  is  eternal.  There  can  be  no  forgiveness 
except  as  the  offender  repents  and  abandons  his  sin.  Jesus  holds  that 
the  condition  of  a  man  to  whom  good  seems  evil  is  hopeless.  He 
is  morally  corrupt.  Vss.  33,  34  show  how  words  but  express  the  con- 
dition of  a  man's  soul,  and  therefore,  like  the  fruit  of  a  tree,  may  be 
the  basis  of  judgment.  This  thought  is  elaborated  in  vss.  35-37. 
Words  are  of  no  value  except  as  they  indicate  one's  nature,  but  as 
such  they  are  of  the  greatest  value.  Vs.  36,  "  idle  word"  :  not  a  mere 
meaningless  expression,  but  a  foolish  word.  It  is  morally  serious, 
because  it  is  the  fruit  of  a  foolish  soul. 

Vs.  38,  "a  sign":  i.e.,  a  material  proof  of  a  spiritual  mission. 
Vs.  39.  Such  a  demand  implied  that  those  who  made  it  were  untrue 
to  their  own  religious  professions.  If  any  people  in  the  world  should 
have  been  susceptible  to  spiritual  teaching,  it  was  the  Jews,  but  the 
Pharisees  had  lost  spiritual  susceptibility  in  their  devotion  to  external 
rules.  Vs.  40,  **  For  as  Jonah  "  :  Luke  omits  this  verse,  and  very  pos- 
sibly it  is  in  Matthew  an  addition  of  the  evangelist,  giving  what  he 
understood  to  be  the  meaning  of  Jesus.  As  it  stands,  the  reference  is 
explicit ;  the  experience  of  the  prophet  in  the  sea-monster  becomes 
a  tvpe  of  the  experience  of  Jesus  when  buried.  So  it  is  used  in  early 
Christian  art.  Vs.  41.  In  this  verse  we  have  the  interpretation  of  the 
sign  of  Jonah  as  a  preacher  of  repentance  to  the  Ninevites,  and  an 
application  of  it  to  the  Jews  of  Jesus'  own  day.  As  the  Ninevites 
responded  to  the  prophet's  preaching,  so  should  the  Jews  have 
responded  to  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  They  needed  no  other  sign. 
Vs.  42.  We  have  a  repetition  of  the  argument.  The  queen  of  the 
south  responded  to  the  wisdom  of  Solomon ;  she  was  true  to  her 
opportunity,  although  the  teaching  of  Solomon  was  inferior  to  that  of 
Jesus.  As  the  opportunity  of  the  Pharisee  was  greater,  so  would  be 
his  condemnation.  Vss.  44,  45.  In  these  verses  we  have  a  parable 
based  upon  the  current  belief  in  demoniacal  possession.  Its  point  is 
simply  this  :  the  man  was  worse  off,  because  after  he  had  rid  himself  of 
the  evil  spirit  he  had  neglected  to  take  in  a  good  spirit.  The  moral 
lesson  is  therefore  evident.     It  is  not  enough  merely  to  drive  out  evil 


Il8  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

from  oneself,  like  the  Pharisees,  that  is,  merely  to  keep  from  doing- 
things  which  are  illegal;  one  must  be  full  of  the  divine  spirit.  Simply 
to  keep  from  evil  is  to  offer  an  inducement  to  evil. 

^141.  Notes  on  §  55,  Luke  11: 14-36. — Vss.  27,  28  ;  cf.  Mark  3  :  35. 
Jesus  constantly  teaches  that  mere  physical  relationships  are  inferior 
to  spiritual  relationships.  Vss.  33-36.  This  collection  of  aphorisms, 
though  probably  spoken  at  a  different  time,  is  intended  to  carry  out 
further  the  thought  of  Jesus'  words  about  the  demand  for  a  sign.  He 
insists  that  there  is  in  a  man  the  power  of  responding  instinctively  to 
truth.  If  this  power  is  lacking,  the  man  is  in  an  abnormal  condition; 
the  light  in  him  is  darkness. 

^142.  Notes  on  §56,  Mark  3:31-35. — Vs.  31;  cf.  Mark  3:21.  It 
is  easy  to  imagine  the  scene  :  Jesus  within  the  house,  his  mother  and 
his  brothers  outside,  calling  him  to  come  out  and  go  home  with  them. 
He  does  not  hear  them  because  of  the  crowd  about  him.  Vs.  32. 
Evidently  the  people  think  he  should  obey  the  voice  of  his  mother, 
but  again  Jesus  insists  that  family  ties  are  inferior  to  those  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Vss.  34,  35  give  us  Jesus'  beautiful  definition  of  what 
constitutes  true  relationship  to  him.  Those  are  the  members  of  his 
family  who  do  God's  will.     {Cf.  Matt.  5  :  44,  45.) 

^143.  Notes  on  §  57,  Mark  4  :i-34. — Vs.  2,  "parables  ;"  see  1(146. 
Vss.  3-9,  the  Parable  of  the  Sower.  In  this  parable  we  have  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  common  scene  in  the  life  of  a  farmer.  The  central  thought 
is  plain,  namely,  difference  in  crops  depends  upon  variation  in  the 
soil.  It  should  be  noticed  that  there  is  a  steady  progress  from  the 
seed  which  does  not  yield  a  crop  to  that  which  bears  a  hundred  fold. 
Vs.  5,  "rocky  ground":  that  is,  ground  over  ledges.  Vs.  7,  "thorns": 
not  thistles,  or  tares,  but  the  sturdy  bushes  which  surround  the  fields 
as  a  sort  of  hedge. 

Vs.  II.  This  verse  introduces  Jesus'  reason  for  using  parables. 
See  ^[147.  On  "the  kingdom  of  God,"  the  mention  of  which  here 
shows  that  by  these  parables  Jesus  intends  to  set  forth  the  nature  of 
the  kingdom,  see  ^[145.  Notice  the  distinction  between  the  disciples 
and  those  who  "are  without."  Vs.  12,  "that":  the  Greek  does  not 
permit  any  other  interpretation  than  that  of  purpose.  But  that  Jesus 
does  not  think  that  the  truth  will  always  be  concealed  by  the  parable 
appears  in  vss.  21,  22. 

Vss.  13-20  give  Jesus'  interpretation  of  the  Parable  of  the  Sower. 
It  is  needless  to  consider  it  more  elaborately  than  he  has  himself.  It 
should  be  noticed  that  he  interprets  only  such  items  in  the  original 


TEACHING    CONCERNING    THE    KINGDOM  II Q 

Story  as  go  to  illustrate  the  great  truth  he  is  intending  to  teach.  And 
this  is :  the  fact  that  the  kingdom  of  God  grows  more  slowly  in  some 
places  than  in  others  is  due  to  the  differences  in  the  men  who  hear  its 
truths  taught.  Notice  those  things  which  he  describes  as  interfering 
with  this  growth. 

Vss.  2  1,  22.  The  reference  here  is  to  the  concealing  power  of  the 
parable.  This,  Jesus  declares,  is  but  temporary,  and  illustrates  his 
statement  by  the  appeal  to  the  habits  of  ordinary  housekeeping.  Vss. 
22,  23,  "save  that"  :  these  words  introduce  the  purpose  of  the  hiding. 
The  parable  preser\fes  (like  a  husk)  what  it  temporarily  conceals  in 
order  that  later  it  may  come  to  light.  Vs.  24.  It  is  noteworthy  that 
these  familiar  words  have  reference  to  listening  to  teaching.  By  them 
Jesus  states  a  principle  of  modern  pedagogy:  what  one  learns  depends 
upon  what  one  has  learned.  In  other  words,  the  pupil  not  only  must 
"take  care  what  he  hears,"  but  he  is  himself,  to  a  large  degree,  respon- 
sible for  his  progress.     This  is  especially  true  in  moral  teachings. 

Vss.  26-29,  the  Parable  of  the  Seed  in  the  Earth.  The  essential 
elements  of  this  parable  are  (i)  the  fact  that  the  seed  grows  of  itself 
when  once  it  is  planted ;  (2)  the  earth  is  fitted  to  make  the  seed  grow 
(vs.  28).  Truth  and  the  mind  of  man  are  fitted  to  one  another.  The 
teacher  cannot  make  the  seed  grow.  It  is  his  to  sow  the  seed,  and  in 
due  time  to  reap  the  harvest. 

Vss.  30-32,  the  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed.  With  this  compari- 
son Jesus  illustrates  the  extent  of  the  growth  of  the  kingdom.  Little 
in  its  beginnings,  it  will  be  great  in  its  end.  (On  the  mustard  seed, 
see  Bible  dictionaries.)  Vss.  33,  34,  "as  they  were  able  to  hear":  a 
good  pedagogical  principle,  and  one  that  shows  how  careful  Jesus  was 
as  to  his  methods.  Vs.  34,  "He  expounded  to  his  own  disciples": 
From  this  time  on  Jesus  reserves  certain  truths  and  explanations  for 
that  inner  circle  of  friends  to  whom  he  was  so  closely  joined. 

•|[i44.  Notes  on  §57,  Matt.  13:1-53. — This  collection  of  parables 
possesses  no  small  literary  unity.  The  parables  all  bear  upon  the 
gradual  growth  and  certain  triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Cf.  1fi45. 
The  various  elements  may  thus  be  grouped : 

1.  The  explanation  of  the  unequal  growth  of  the  kingdom  in  different 
circumstances:  Parable  of  the  Sower,  vss.  1-9,  18-23.  (See  ^143.) 
For  vss.  10-16,  see  ^147. 

2.  The  contemporaneous  growth  of  evil  is  to  be  expected  and  endured: 
the  Parable  of  the  Tares,  vss.  24-30,  the  interpretation  of  which  is 
given  in  vss.  36-43.    "Tares"  :  noxious  weeds  that  grow  in  wheat-fields 


120  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

and  at  first  closely  resemble  the  wheat  itself.  The  time  when  they 
can  be  safely  removed  is  therefore  at  the  time  of  harvest.  In  the 
interpretation  given  by  Jesus  this  thought  is  central.  Men  are  not  to 
endeavor  to  root  out  evil  so  much  as  to  see  that  good  grows.  God 
will  see  to  it  that  evil  is  finally  destroyed,  and  the  kingdom  will  then 
be  all-inclusive  and  glorious  (vs.  43).  Vs.  38,  "the  world":  one  of 
the  most  important  words  in  the  New  Testament.  It  corresponds 
roughly  to  our  term  "social  environment."  It  is  generally  thought  of 
as  evil.  "This  age"  is  the  period  preceding  the  complete  establish- 
ment of  the  kingdom.  In  this  interpretation  notice  (a)  that  the  king- 
dom is  composed  of  men,  and  is  therefore  social ;  (d)  that  the  judgment 
comes  at  the  end  of  the  age  ("world,"  vs.  39),  /.  e.,  at  the  end  of  any 
period  of  the  kingdom's  growth  toward  its  complete  establishment. 
It  is  this  "age,"  in  which  the  kingdom  is  developing  in  the  midst  of 
evil  influences,  that  we  are  now  living  in. 

3.  T/ie  extent  and  method  of  the  kingdom's  growth^  vss.  31-33  :  the 
Parables  of  the  Mustard  Seed  (see  ^[143)  and  of  the  Leaven.  Vs.  33. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  instructive  parables  uttered  by  Jesus.  "  Leaven  ": 
yeast,  the  symbol,  not  of  corruption,  but  of  transformation  through  con- 
tact. This  may  be  evil  (Gal.  5:9)  or  good,  as  here.  "Three  meas- 
ures": four  or  five  pecks.  "Till  it  all  was  leavened":  Like  the 
Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed,  this  indicates  the  wonderful  growth  of  the 
kingdom.  So  small  as  to  be  hidden  in  the  world,  it  will  yet  transform 
it  all.  The  parable  also  indicates  how  the  kingdom  is  to  grow,  viz., 
by  transforming  its  surroundings.  This  implies  {a)  a  gradual  process, 
(^)  the  operation  of  social  forces  rather  than  miraculous  intervention 
during  the  period  of  the  growth  of  the  kingdom.  In  this  parable  Jesus 
has  composed  an  entire  philosophy  of  social  regeneration.  And  he 
was  producing  the  "yeast"  in  the  persons  of  his  disciples,  especially 
the  Twelve.     On  vss.  34,  35,  see  ^[147. 

4.  The  surpassing  worth  of  {membership  in)  the  kingdom,  vss.  44-46  : 
the  Parables  of  the  Treasure  Trove  and  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price.  In 
both  of  these  parables  the  central  thought  is  the  same  :  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  so  valuable  that  a  man  may  well  afford  to  give  away  every- 
thing else  in  exchange  for  it.  There  is  possibly  a  shade  of  difference, 
in  that  in  one  case  the  treasure  was  happened  on,  and  in  the  other  it  was 
discovered  while  being  searched  for.  But  this  difference  is  incidental. 
Vs.  44,  "treasure  hidden  in  a  field"  :  In  Palestine  there  were  few  or 
no  places  besides  the  temple  in  which  one  could  deposit  valuables. 
They  were,  therefore,  buried.      It  would  frequently  happen  that  the 


TEACHING    CONCERNING    THE    KINGDOM  121 

only  one  to  whom  the  fact  was  known  never  dug  the  treasure  up,  and 
another  found  it.  Even  today  there  are  frequently  found  in  Palestine 
little  heaps  of  money  that  has  lain  buried  for  hundreds  and  even 
thousands  of  years. 

5 .  The  final  separation  of  the  true  from  the  false  members  of  the  king- 
dom, vss.  47-50 ;  the  Parable  of  the  Drag-Net.  This  grows  naturally 
from  the  preceding  thought.  The  great  worth  of  membership  in  a 
triumphing  kingdom  will  induce  bad  men  to  claim  membership. 
They  will  at  the  end  of  the  period  of  growth  be  removed,  as  poor  fish 
are  thrown  out  from  .a  net.  Vs.  47,  "net"  :  a  drag-net  or  seine  which 
was  so  drawn  through  the  water  as  to  inclose  large  numbers  of  fishes. 
There  would  be  all  sorts  in  it  when  at  last  it  was  drawn  up  on  the 
beach.  Vs.  50.  Here,  as  frequently  in  the  New  Testament,  we  have 
the  misery  suffered  by  those  who  will  not  come  into  the  kingdom 
described  in  forcible  figures.  The  fire  is  not  physical ;  it  is  worse,  for 
it  typifies  spiritual  misery. 

Vs.  51,  "ye":  the  disciples,  men  of  no  education,  and  not  pos- 
sessed even  of  quick  understanding.  Vs.  52,  "therefore"  introduces 
an  argument  of  this  sort :  If  you  simple  folk  can  understand  these 
teachings,  how  great  are  the  possibilities  for  the  scribe  who  has  become 
a  disciple  1  "  Scribe  "  :  not  the  disciples,  but  to  be  taken  literally.  The 
scribe  was  the  educated  man  of  Judaism.  He  could  not  only  under- 
stand the  new  teaching,  but  could  bring  it  into  connection  with  the 
old.  In  these  days  of  widespread  education  it  is  fitting  that  intelligent 
Christians  should  bear  this  ideal  in  mind.  They  are  neither  to  accept 
new  teachings  merely  because  they  are  new,  nor  hold  to  the  old  merely 
because  they  are  old.  They  are  to  hold  truths,  both  new  and  old, 
fuse  them  into  one,  and  make  them  serviceable.  Both  progress  and 
conservatism  are  thus  seen  by  Jesus  to  lie  in  education. 

•f  145.  Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  —  Compare  T[6i. 
(i)  He  does  not  regard  it  {a)  as  equivalent  merely  to  heaven,  (<5)  as 
merely  God's  reign,  {c)  as  a  condition  of  man's  spiritual  nature.  (2) 
He  does  regard  it  as  an  actual  social  order  or  society  in  which  the 
relation  of  men  to  each  other  is  that  of  brothers,  because  they  are  the 
sons  of  God,  /.  e.,  are  like  God  in  moral  purpose  and  love  (Matt.  5  :  44, 
45).  It  is  thus  fundamentally  religious  and  consequently  fraternal. 
{Cf.  James  i  :  26,  27.)  The  type  of  this  new  humanity  is  Jesus  himself, 
the  Son  of  man.  It  is  not  yet  complete,  but  is  growing.  It  is  not  a 
thing  apart  from  other  humanity,  but  it  is  to  grow  by  the  transformation 
and  assimilation  of   men  and    institutions.     The  completion  of    this 


122  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

growth  is  "  the  consummation  of  the  age,"  and  is  described  also  as 
"the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man ; "  /.  e.,  the  coming  of  the  type  is,  as  in 
Dan,  7:13,  used  as  the  equivalent  of  the  triumph  of  the  anti-type,  in 
this  case  a  regenerate  humanity.  In  this  triumph  all  good  men,  whether 
dead  or  alive,  will  share.  The  final  separation  of  the  bad  from  the 
good  is  described  by  Jesus  as  a  judgment.  In  this  triumph  and  judg- 
ment Jesus  says  he  himself  will  be  the  central  person. 

^  1 46.  On  the  Interpretation  of  Parables.  —  A  parable  is  a  figure  of  speech 
in  which  commonly  observed  facts  and  actual,  or  at  least  conceivable,  expe- 
rience are  used  by  analogy  to  illustrate  religious  truth.  Parables  are  of  two 
classes :  those  which  illustrate  and  enforce  some  single  truth  or  duty,  and 
those  which  treat  of  the  nature  and  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  In 
interpreting  parables  the  following  rules  will  be  found  serviceable  : 

1.  By  means  of  the  context  or  the  content  of  the  parable  itself,  deter- 
mine whether  it  is  homiletic  in  purpose,  that  is,  illustrates  or  enforces  a 
single  truth  or  duty  ;  or  whether  it  has  to  do  in  a  more  general  way  with  the 
nature  and  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

2.  In  case  it  belongs  to  the  latter  class  (parables  of  the  kingdom)  :  (a) 
discover  the  central  "  point "  of  the  parable  as  a  story,  and  the  elements  of 
the  story  that  are  essential  to  this  "  point ;  "  {b)  discover  from  the  context 
and  the  analogy  itself  the  truth  to  be  taught  by  the  dominant  analogy,  and  so 
interpret  the  essential  details  that,  as  they  themselves  are  subordinate  to  the 
dominant  feature  of  the  story,  the  truths  they  represent  shall  be  subordinate 
to  the  truth  expressed  by  the  dominant  analogy.     Disregard  all  other  details. 

3.  In  case  the  parable  belongs  to  the  second  class  (homiletic  parables), 
the  only  rule  to  be  observed  is  this  :  discover  the  "point"  of  the  parable  and 
use  it,  and  it  alone,  as  a  means  of  illustrating  or  enforcing  the  authoritative 
teaching  of  Jesus.  All  details  are  of  no  exegetical  importance  except  as  they 
make  more  evident  the  one  essential  analogy. 

*^  147.  Why  did  Jesus  Use  Parables?  —  The  answer  to  this  question  is 
given  in  Mark  4:10-12  *and  Matt.  13:10-16.  With  these  statements 
should  be  compared  Mark  4  :  21,  22,  33,  34  and  Matt.  13  :34,  35.  A  careful' 
study  of  these  passages  will  show  (i)  that  Jesus  used  the  parable  because  it 
enabled  him  to  present  truth  in  a  veiled  form.  This  permitted  him  to  teach 
in  public  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  be  misunderstood,  and  in  private  to  explain 
his  thought  to  his  disciples.  (2)  That  Jesus  did  not  wish  the  crowds  to  join 
him  so  long  as  their  "hearts  were  gross"  (Mark  4:10-12).  To  have 
preached  openly  that  he  was  the  Christ  and  to  have  endeavored  to  get  every- 
body to  join  the  kingdom  would  have  been  to  invite  misunderstanding  and 
even  revolution.  He  had  to  content  himself  in  his  own  mission  with  the  dis- 
covery of  sympathetic,  teachable  persons  with  whom  he  could  live  intimately 
as  a  teacher  and  friend.     Thus  he  could  make  them  into  evangelists  of  the 


TEACHING    CONCERNING    THE    KINGDOM  1 23 

truths  he  himself  was  forced  to  veil  (Mark  4:21,  22).  (3)  That  Jesus  thus 
expected  that  some  day  these  "hidden"  truths  would  be  revealed.  It  is  a 
fact  that  a  man  will  remember  indefinitely  a  truth  he  does  not  understand  if 
it  is  put  into  the  form  of  a  story.  Some  day,  when  he  is  ready  for  the  truth, 
he  sees  it  in  the  story  he  has  remembered  so  long.  (4)  That  the  kingdom  thus 
had  its  "mystery"  (Mark  4:11;  Matt.  13  :  1 1),  which  could  be  shared  and 
enjoyed  only  by  its  members.  This  mystery  was  probably  Jesus'  teaching  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  itself,  and  later  as  to  his  being  the  Christ. 
The  value  of  this  inner  teaching  and  experience  shared  by  the  disciples 
appears  in  Matt.  13  :  16,  17,  where  the  reference  is  clearly  to  the  longings 
of  men  of  the  past  for  ap  sight  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  its  Christ. 


^  148.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  How  and 
why  did  his  friends  misunderstand  Jesus  ?  (2)*  How  did  the 
Pharisees  misunderstand  him?  (3)*  What  warning  does  Jesus 
give  them?  (4)  What  is  meant  by  words  against  the  Holy 
Spirit?  (5)  What  do  they  indicate  as  to  the  speaker's  moral 
nature?  (6)*  Why  are  words  of  so  much  importance?  (7)* 
What  did  the  Pharisees  mean  by  assign"?  (8)*  What  is  "the 
sign  of  Jonah"  ?  (9)  What  does  Jesus  teach  as  to  the  wisdom 
of  merely  giving  up  bad  habits  ? 

(10)*  Who  are  members  of  Christ's  family? 

(11)  What  does  Jesus  mean  by  "kingdom  of  God "  ?  Can 
we  help  to  bring  about  its  triumph  ? 

(12)*  What  is  a  parable?  (13)  Why  did  Jesus  use  para- 
bles? (14)*  What  is  the  Parable  of  the  Sower,  and  what  does 
it  teach?  (15)  The  Parable  of  the  Seed  in  the  Earth.  What 
does  it  teach?  (16)*  The  Parable  of  the  Tares?  (17)*  The 
Parables  of  the  Mustard  Seed  and  the  Leaven  ?  (18)*  The  Para- 
bles of  the  Treasure  Trove  and  the  Pearl?  (19)*  The  Parable 
of  the  Drag-Net  ?  (20)*  What  responsibility  lies  upon  educated 
Christians?  (21)  What  lessons  of  help  and  warning  can  one 
draw  from  these  parables  ?  (22)  Tell  these  parables  once  again 
as  the  same  things  would  happen  today. 

^149.  Constructive  Work.  —  Let  the  pupil  write  a  chapter  for  his 
''Life  of  Christ"  on  some  such  plan  as  this: 


124 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FURTHER    CONFLICT    WITH    THE    SCRIKES,  AND    TEACHING    CONCERNING    THE 

KINGDOM. 

1.  The  warning  against  moral  deterioration. 

2.  The  way  to  join  Christ's  family. 

3.  The  nature  and  growth  of  the  kingdom  of  God :  {a)  what  the 
kingdom  is ;  {b)  why  it  grows  unequally  in  different  surroundings  ; 
{c)  what  makes  it  grow;  {d)  what  will  be  the  final  outcome  of  its 
growth. 

^150.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  sin. 

2.  The  ethical  teaching  of  Jesus  as  contrasted  with  that  of  the 
Pharisees. 

Full  references  will  be  found  in  Burton,  "The  Ethical  Teachings  of  Jesus,  etc.," 
Biblical  World,  September,  1897  (Vol.  X,  pp.  198-208). 

3.  The  parables  of  Jesus. 

Mathews,  "The  Interpretation  of  Parables,"  American  Journal  of  Theology, 
April,  1898  (Vol.  II,  pp.  293-311);  Trench,  Parables;  Goebel,  Parables  (perhaps  the 
best  book  in  English  on  the  subject) ;  Bruce,  The  Parabolic  Teaching  of  Our  Lord. 


THE  PALM  ON  THE  PLAIN  OF  JEZREEL 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  CHAPTER  OF  MIRACLES  IN  GALILEE. 

§  58.  The  stilling  of  the  tempest. 

Matt.  8  :  [18]  23-27.  Mark  4  :  35-41.  Luke  8  :  22-25. 
§59.  The  Gadarene  demoniacs. 

Matt.  8  :  28-34.  Mark  5  : 1-20.       Luke  8  :  26-39. 

§60.  The  raising  of  Jairus's  daughter. 

Matt.  9  :  [I]  18-26.  Mark  5  : 21-43.  Luke  8  : 40-56. 
§61.  The  two  blind  men,  and  the  dumb  demoniac. 

Matt.  9  :  27-34. 

^151.  Notes  on  §  58,  Mark  4  :  35-41. — Vs.  37,  "  was  now  filling  ": 
not,  as  in  the  common  version,  "  full."  Vs.  38,  "  asleep  on  the 
cushion":  perhaps  that  on  which  the  oarsmen  or  the  steersman  ordi- 
narily sat.  Jesus,  his  day's  work  done,  was  quietly  resting.  Vs.  39, 
"rebuked  the  wind,  ....  and  there  was  a  great  calm":  in  such  an  act 
we  see  the  power  of  Jesus  in  one  of  its  most  mysterious  forms.  Vs.  40, 
**  Why  are  ye  fearful  ?  have  ye  not  yet  faith?"  Faith,  confidence  in 
him,  would  have  banished  fear.  Notice  Jesus'  words  "not  yet,"  and 
(since  they  certainly  had  some  faith)  the  implication  that  faith  is 
something  which  ought  to  grow  with  experience.  They  had  been 
with  him  long  enough  to  have  learned  a  trust  that  would  have  kept 
them  calm,  as  he  was. 

^  152.  Notes  on  §59,  Mark  5:1-20. — Vs.  i,  "into  the  country  of 
the  Gerasenes":  in  Matthew  Gadarenes,  but  in  all  three  gospels  the 
manuscripts  vary  between  Gadarenes,  Gerasenes,  and  Gergesenes. 
The  place  of  the  event  is  undoubtedly  in  the  outskirts  of  a  town  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  now  called  Khersa.  See  note  in 
Biblical  World,  January,  1898,  p.  38.  Vs.  2,  "out  of  the  tombs": 
not  graves,  but  rock-cut  tombs  above  the  ground.  There  are  many  in 
the  region  today.  Vs.  3,  "and  no  man  could  any  more  bind  him": 
This  and  the  following  verses  present  the  picture  of  a  raving  madman. 
Vs.  6,  "  ran  and  worshipped  him":  calmed  and  in  part  subdued  by 
the  presence  of  Jesus.  Vs.  7,  "what  have  I  to  do  with  thee?"  etc.: 
substantially  the  language  of  the  demoniacs  generally.  (Cf.  Mark 
3:11  and  ^  loi.)  Vs.  9,  "my  name  is  Legion;  for  we  are  many": 
notice  the  language  expressive  of  double  consciousness.     Vs.  10,  "that 

125 


126  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

he  would  not  send  them  away  out  of  the  country":  Luke  interprets 
this  to  mean  "into  the  abyss,"  i.  e.,  of  hell.  Vs.  13,  **  and  the 
unclean  spirits  ....  entered  into  the  swine  ":  This  whole  narrative, 
more  distinctly  than  any  other  of  the  New  Testament,  implies  the 
real  existence  of  demons  as  personal  spirits  distinct  from  both  men 
and  beasts,  but  capable  of  acquiring  harmful  control  of  both.  The 
language  of  Jesus  to  the  demons,  and  of  the  evangelists  in  the  narra- 
tive, is  conformed  to  the  ideas  then  current.  If  Jesus  had  any  differ- 
ent conception  of  the  matter,  he  apparently  took  no  pains  to  impart  it 
to  his  disciples  or  to  the  people.  "  Rushed  down  the  steep  into  the 
sea":  There  is  near  the  town  Khersa,  mentioned  above,  a  place  just 
such  as  is  here  implied.  (See  ThOxMpson,  Land  and  Book,  Central 
Palestine,  pp.  353-5-)  Vs.  17,  *' began  to  beseech  him  to  depart  from 
their  borders":  more  terrified  by  the  damage  to  their  swine  than  moved 
by  the  benefit  to  the  demoniac  —  not  the  only  instance  in  which  the 
property  value  of  beasts  has  been  more  considered  than  the  moral 
advantage  of  men.  Vs.  19,  ''go  to  thy  house,  unto  thy  friends,"  etc.: 
an  injunction  different  from  that  given  to  the  leper  (Mark  i  144),  for 
example,  because  of  the  differences  in  the  circumstances.  Jesus  was 
himself  returning  to  the  other  side  of  the  sea.  The  man's  announce- 
ment of  his  cure  would  not  hinder  Jesus'  work,  and  would  be  a  benefit 
to  him  and  to  his  friends.     Vs.  20,  "  Decapolis  ":    see  ^  122. 

T  153.  Notes  on  §59,  Matt.  8  :28. — "  The  country  of  the  Gadarenes": 
Gadara  was  an  important  city  of  the  Decapolis  (see  ^[122  and  map), 
lying  six  miles  southeast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  south  of  the  Yarmuk 
river.  The  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen  at  the  spot  known  as  Um  Keis. 
The  district  attached  to  it  extended  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  but  probably 
did  not  include  Khersa.  Matthew's  phrase  ''  in  the  country  of  the 
Gadarenes,"  though  less  accurate  than  Mark's,  would  locate  the  region 
in  general  for  readers  who  would  know  of  Gadara,  but  who  had  per- 
haps never  heard  of  the  unimportant  Gerasa  or  Gergesa  (Khersa)  on  the 
lake.  Matthew,  however,  does  not  say  that  the  event  took  place  at 
Gadara;  nor  can  this  have  been  the  site.  "Two  possessed  of  demons": 
See  the  same  difference  between  Mark  10  :  46  and  Matt.  20  :  30. 

^  154.  Notes  on  §60,  Mark  5  :  21-43. — ^^-  22,  ''  one  of  the  rulers  of 
the  synagogue":  each  synagogue  had  one  or  more  "rulers"  (Luke 
13:  14;  Acts  13:  15),  who  had  general  charge  of  the  synagogue  wor- 
ship. They  were  neither  preachers  nor  pastors,  but  presided  at  the 
service  and  selected  from  the  congregation  the  persons  to  read  the 
scripture  and  to  address  the  congregation  (see  Acts  13  :  15). 


A    CHAPTER    OF    MIRACLES    IN    GALILEE  12/ 

Vs.  25,  "an  issue  of  blood"  :  chronic  hemorrhage.  Vs.  28,  *Mf  I 
touch  but  his  garments,  I  shall  be  made  whole":  the  expression  of 
a  genuine  faith,  though  mixed  with  a  crude  conception  of  the  nature 
of  Jesus'  power.  Vs.  30,  "Jesus,  perceiving  that  the  power  pro- 
ceeding from  him  had  gone  forth":  The  evangelist  also  speaks  as  if 
Jesus'  power  were  exerted  independently  of  his  will,  conforming  his  lan- 
guage to  that  of  the  woman  and  to  that  of  Jesus  to  her.  Yet  it  is  more 
likely  that  Jesus  exercised  his  power  consciously  and  intentionally,  and 
afterward  by  his  questions  drew  'the  woman  out  that  he  might  still 
further  help  her.  ^Vs.  34,  "daughter":  a  word  of  kindly  affection. 
Cf.  Mark  2  :  5.  "Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole  ":  /.  e.,  cured  thee. 
The  faith  commonly  spoken  of  in  the  gospels  is  a  belief  that  Jesus  can 
do  a  certain  thing  (sometimes  one  thing,  sometimes  another  ;  cf.  Mark 
4:  40;  Luke  7  :  50),  such  as  led  him  who  had  it  to  come  to  Jesus  and 
commit  his  case  to  him.  To  such  faith  Jesus  invariably  responded  by 
doing  that  which  men  believed  he  could  do.  "According  to  your 
faith"  was  his  constant  formula.  The  principle  holds  still:  within 
the  bounds  of  what  is  true  about  Jesus,  he  is  to  us  what  and  as  much 
as  we  believe  him  to  be. 

Vs.  36,  "fear  not,  only  believe":  i.  ^.,  cease  to  fear,  keep  on  believ- 
ing. Vs.  37,  "save  Peter,  James,  and  John":  so  also  Mark  9  :  2; 
14:33-  Vs.  38,  "weeping  and  wailing  "  :  probably  hired  mourners, 
after  the  fashion  of  the  time.  Vs.  39,  "the  child  is  not  dead"  :  Luke, 
who  also  records  these  words  of  Jesus  (Luke  8  :  52),  does  not  take  them 
literally  (vs.  53),  but  as  meaning  that  she  is  so  soon  to  live  again  that 
it  is  as  if  she  slept,  and  modern  interpreters  usually  follow  Luke  in 
interpreting  Mark  also.  Vs.  43,  "  charged  them  that  no  man  should 
know  this"  :  The  motive  of  Jesus  in  these  merciful  deeds  was  evidently 
compassion,  not  a  desire  to  attract  attention  as  a  healer.  "  Commanded 
that  something  should  be  given  her  to  eat":  thoughtful  even  in  the 
little  things.  Note  also  Jesus'  economy  in  the  use  of  his  own  great 
powers. 

Matthew's  account  of  these  events  (9:  18-26)  is  evidently  a  condensation 
of  the  account  which  Mark  gives.  He  attributes  to  the  father  both  what  he 
himself  said  and  what  was  said  by  the  messenger  from  his  house,  condensing 
both  sayings  into  one  (vs.  18),  much  as  in  8  :  5-13  he  ascribes  to  the  centu- 
rion in  condensed  form  what  in  Luke  7  :  2-10  is  reported  as  said  through 
others.  The  story  of  the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood  (vss.  20-22)*  is  simi- 
larly abbreviated.  Luke's  account  of  both  events  follows  Mark  more  closely. 
It  is  noticeable  that  in  all  three  accounts  the  two  stories  stand  in  the  same 
relation,  the  one  interjected  into  the  other. 


128     .  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^155.  Notes  on  §61,  Matt.  9:27-34. — Vs.  27,  "Thou  Son  of 
David":  /.  ^.,  Messiah.  Vs.  29,  "According  to  your  faith":  Their  faith, 
as  the  preceding  verse  shows,  consisted  in  believing  that  Jesus  was  able 
to  do  the  thing  they  asked,  and  was  such  that  it  lead  them  actually  to 
seek  his  help.  According  to  this  faith  Jesus  acts :  what  they  believe 
he  can  do  he  does.     Cf.  Tf  154. 

This  narrative  is  closely  similar  to  that  in  Matt.  20  :  29-34  ;  notice  particu- 
larly the  use  of  the  title  "Son  of  David,"  which  occurs  but  rarely  in  the  gos- 
pels. It  is  not  impossible  that  both  accounts  refer  to  the  same  event ;  in  that 
case  Matt.,  chap.  20,  probably  represents  the  true  position.  The  gospels  as 
a  whole  hardly  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  people  were  as  early  as  this  hail- 
ing Jesus  as  the  Son  of  David.     Cf.  Mark  8 :  27  and  ^  186. 

Vss.  32-34,  see  the  similar  narrative  in  Matt.  12  :  22-24  (§  55)* 


^156.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.  —  (i)  Having 
studied  §58  and  the  notes  on  it,  tell  the  story  of  the  stilling  of 
the  tempest.  (2)*  How  does  this  act  of  Jesus  differ  from  most 
of  the  miracles  which  we  have  already  studied  ?  ( 3 )  What  previ- 
ous one  belongs  in  the  same  class?  (4)*  What  great  principle 
does  Jesus  teach  his  disciples  in  connection  with  this  event 
(Mark  4:  40)  ?     (5)  Suggest  how  this  principle  applies  today. 

(6)*  Where  is  the  country  of  the  Gerasenes  ?  (7)  What 
does  the  phrase  •'  country  of  the  Gadarenes  "  in  Matthew  refer  to  ? 
(8)*  Describe  the  man  who  met  Jesus  when  he  disembarked  from 
the  boat.  (9)  What  peculiarities  did  he  exhibit  other  than  those 
of  ordinary  insanity?  (10)  Relate  the  incident  of  the  swine. 
(11)*  What  led  the  Gerasenes  to  ask  Jesus  to  leave  their  coun- 
try? (12)  Is  a  similar  spirit  ever  manifested  today?  How? 
(13)  Why  did  Jesus  send  the  cured  demoniac  out  to  tell  people 
what  had  happened  to  him  ? 

(14)*  What  was  the  office  of    a  ruler  of    the  synagogue? 

(15)  Were  men  of    this    class    generally  favorable    to    Jesus? 

(16)  What  drove  this  man  to  Jesus?  (17)  Tell  the  story  of  the 
woman  who  touched  Jesus  as  he  was  on  the  way  to  the  house  of 
Jairus.  (18)*  Characterize  her  faith.  (19)  What  reward  did 
her  faith  secure  for  her  ?  (20)  What  lesson  concerning  faith 
does  this  incident  teach?      (21)   Tell  the  story  of  Jai'rus  and  his 


A    CHAPTER    OF    MIRACLES    IN    GALILEE  1 29 

daughter  (omitting  that  about  the  woman).  (22)*  What  char- 
acteristics of  Jesus  appear  in  this  incident  ? 

(23)  Narrate  the  incident  of  the  two  blind  men.  (24) 
Wherein  did  the  faith  of  the  blind  men  consist?  (25)*  What 
is  faith  as  it  is  commonly  spoken  of  in  the  gospels?  (26)* 
What  great  principle  does  Jesus  express  in  connection  with  the 
healing  of  these  men?  (27)  Is  this  the  principle  on  which 
Jesus  usually  acted?  Give  other  instances.  (28)*  Is  the  prin- 
ciple still  true  tod^y  ?  (29)  If  so,  suggest  how  it  applies,  and 
state  it  in  a  form  applicable  to  us. 

^157.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xiv  of  your  "  Life  of  Christ," 
following  the  outline  indicated  by  the  section  titles,  and  adding  a  sec- 
tion on  "Faith"  as  it  appears  in  the  gospels:  in  what  did  it  consist, 
and  what  was  its  relation  to  the  miracles  of  Jesus  ? 

^  158.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

I.  The  Sea  of  Galilee;  its  extent,  liability  to  storms,  character  of 
adjoining  country,  cities  on  its  shores. 

Henderson,  Palestine,  pp.  24  f.;  Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine,  chap, 
xxi;  Wilson,  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  Appendix  ;  STANLEY,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  chap. 
x;  Thomson,  The  Land  and  the  Book,  Central  Palestine,  pp.  371  H.,  et  passim  ; 
MacGregor,  Rob  Roy  on  the  Jordan,  pp.  411  £f.;  Bible  Dictionaries. 

2-  Gadara  and  the  district  attached  to  it ;  the  relation  of  Khersa  to 
it;  the  site  of  the  event  narrated  in  the  gospels. 

Merrill,  East  of  the  Jordan,  chap,  xii ;  Schumacher,  Jordan,  pp.  149-60; 
Burton,  Biblical  World,  January,  1898,  p.  38,  footnote  ;  Bible  Dictionaries;  on 
the  ruins  see  Mathews,  Biblical  World,  October,  1897. 

3.  The  miracles  of  Jesus  classified  according  to  that  upon  which 
the  power  was  exerted  ;  the  motive  with  which  Jesus  wrought  them. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

FURTHER    EVANGELIZATION    IN    GALILEE. 

§62.  Second  rejection  at  Nazareth. 

Matt.  13  :  54-58.  Mark  6  :  i-6a. 

§  63.  Third  preaching  tour  continued. 

Matt.  9  :  35.  Mark  6  :  tb. 

§64.  The  mission  of  the  Twelve. 

Matt.  9:36— II :  I.  Mark  6: 7-13.  Luke  9  : 1-6. 

§  65.  Death  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Matt.  14  : 1-12.  Mark  6  :  14-29.  Luke  9  :  7-9. 


130  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^159.  Notes  on  §62,  Mark  6: 1-6^. —  Vs.  i,  "his  own  country": 
the  same  word  used  in  Luke  4  :  23  with  reference  to  Nazareth,  where 
he  was  brought  up  (Luke  4:  16).  On  Nazareth  see  ^[21.  Vss.  2,  3, 
"and  many  ....  were  astonished  ....  and  they  were  offended 
in  him  "  :  His  wisdom  and  his  power  astonished  them,  but  because  he 
had  been  brought  up  among  them,  and  his  brothers  and  sisters  still 
lived  among  them,  they  were  not  attracted  to  him,  but  only  offended, 
made  to  stumble.  Observe  the  names  of  his  four  brothers  and  the 
use  of  the  plural  "  sisters "  showing  that  Jesus  was  one  of  a  family  of 
not  less  than  seven  children.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  the  joys  and  the 
discipline  of  such  a  home  that  he  grew  up,  "increasing  in  wisdom  and 
stature  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man."  These  brothers  and  sisters 
were  in  all  probability  younger  than  Jesus,  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Mary  and  Joseph.  They  may  perhaps  have  been  the  children  of 
Joseph  by  a  former  marriage,  but  there  is  no  good  evidence  to  sustain 
this,  and  nothing  against  the  other  and  more  obvious  view.  That 
they  were  merely  Jesus'  cousins  is  an  entirely  improbable  hypothesis. 
Vs.  4,  "a  prophet  is  not  without  honor,"  etc.:  see  Luke  4:  24;  John 
4:44.  Vs.  .5,  "And  he  could  there  do  no  mighty  work,  save,"  etc.: 
could  not,  as  Matthew  says  and  as  Mark  implies,  because  of  their 
unbelief,  since  a  miracle  wrought  for  unbelievers  would  be  no  real 
blessing.  Vs.  6,  "and  he  marveled  because  of  their  unbelief": 
Jesus  was  not  incapable  of  being  surprised  {cf.  ^130);  he  did  not 
expect  such  obstinate  unbelief  on  the  part  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Matthew's  narrative  is  the  same  as  Mark's,  only  slightly  condensed. 
On  the  relation  of  Luke  4:  16-30  see  end  of  ^[97.  Probably  we  are 
to  think  of  the  attempt  to  kill  him  as  taking  place  now  rather  than  at 
the  time  indicated  by  Luke.  » 

■|[i6o.  Notes  on  §64,  Mark  6 : 7-13. — Vs.  7,  "and  began  to  send 
them  forth  " :  carrying  out  the  purpose  with  which  he  had  appointed 
them,  "that  they  might  be  with  him  and  that  he  might  (from  time  to 
time)  send  them  forth"  (Mark  3:14).  This  is  perhaps  one  of  many 
such  occasions.  "Authority  over  the  unclean  spirits"  :  Cf.  Mark  3  :  14. 
Vs.  8,  "charged  them  they  should  take  nothing  for  their  journey  .... 
no  wallet":  A  wallet  is  a  small  leathern  sack  for  carrying  provisions. 
Vs.  9,  "put  not  on  two  coats  " :  The  dress  of  an  ancient  oriental  was 
quite  simple,  consisting,  aside  from  sandals  for  the  feet  and  a  turban, 
or  maaphoreth,  for  the  head,  of  a  tunic  (coat),  a  garment  in  form  not 
unlike  a  long  shirt,  round  which  the  girdle  was  bound,  and  a  cloak, 
which  was  of  the  simplest  construction,  scarcely   more  than  a  large, 


FURTHER    EVANGELIZATION    IN    GALILEE  I3I 

square  piece  of  cloth.  See  Glover,  "The  Dress  of  the  Master,"  Bib- 
lical World,  May,  1900,  pp.  347-57.  To  wear  two  tunics  was 
a  sign  of  comparative  wealth  (Luke  3:  11),  and  it  was  this  that  Jesus 
forbade.  He  himself  apparently  wore  but  one  (John  19:23).  The 
purpose  of  all  these  injunctions  in  vss.  8,  9  is  to  secure  simplicity  and 


■ 

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* 

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1 

i^ 

M 

1 

i 

B 

l^^^l 

ORDINARY  DRESS  OF  A  JEW  IN  JESUS'  DAY 

freedom  from  hindrance  in  their  work.  They  were  not  to  burden 
themselves  either  to  get  or  to  carry  anything  unnecessary.  The  cus- 
toms of  the  land  made  it  unnecessary  to  provide  for  traveling  expenses, 
since  they  went  afoot  and  could  obtain  free  entertainment  every- 
where. In  1838  Dr.  Edward  Robinson,  traveling  in  parts  of  Palestine 
where  ancient  customs  still  prevailed,  was  received  everywhere  as  a 
guest  without  expense,  and  an  offer  of  pay  was  regarded  as  insulting 


132  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

{Biblical  Researches,  \\,  p.  19).  Vs.  10,  '*  there  abide":  i.  e.,  have 
but  one  stopping  place  in  each  village.  Vs.  11,  "shake  off  the  dust"  : 
a  sign  of  disapproval  and  protest  against  their  conduct.  Vs.  12, 
**  preached  that  men  should  repent " :  following  the  example  of 
John  (Matt.  3:2)  and  Jesus  (Mark  i  :  15).  Vs.  13,  "cast  out  many- 
demons,"  etc.:  accompanying,  as  Jesus  had  done,  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  with  the  relief  of  bodily  ills.  So  in  modern  times  we  have 
learned  to  do.     The  Christian  impulse  cannot  separate  the  two. 

^161.  Notes  on  §64,  Matt.  9:36 — 11  :  i. —  Vs.  36,  "he  was  moved 
with  compassion":  the  motive  by  which  Jesus  was  constantly  moved, 
and  the  expression  of  his  perfect  sympathy  with  God  (John  3:16). 
"As  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd":  a  people  with  no  competent 
religious  leaders,  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  undertook  to  lead, 
being  blind  leaders  of  the  blind  (Matt.  23  :  16) ;  the  saddest  fact  about 
the  Jews  of  that  day.  Vs.  37,  "the  harvest  truly  is  plenteous,  "  etc.: 
This  whole  saying  occurs  in  exactly  the  same  words  in  Luke's  account 
of  the  sending  out  of  the  Seventy  (Luke  10  :  2  ;  cf.  also  John  4:  35). 
The  statement  is  still  true,  and  the  injunction  to  pray  still  appropriate. 
On  10  :  I  compare  Mark  6  :  7.  On  10  :  2-4  see  Mark  3  :  16-19  (§48)- 
Vs.  5,  "go  not  into  any  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and  enter  not  into  any  city 
of  the  Samaritans "  :  an  injunction  for  this  journey  only.  They  were 
not  yet  ready  either  in  teaching  or  spirit  to  go  to  any  but  Jews.  Jesus 
himself  preached  among  the  Samaritans  (John  4:4-42  ;  Luke  9:  52), 
and  though  he  did  not  include  the  gentiles  within  his  own  personal 
mission  (Matt.  15  :  24),  yet  he  overstepped  these  bounds  at  the  entreaty 
of  a  woman  (Matt.  15:28),  and  after  his  resurrection  sent  his  disciples 
to  all  nations  (Matt.  28:19).  This  illustrates  the  fact  that  we  must 
follow  Jesus,  not  by  a  literal  obedience  of  each  command  which  he 
uttered  or  by  doing  exactly  what  he  did,  but  by  possessing  his  spirit, 
and  following  the  principles  he  taught  and  exemplified.  Vs.  8, 
"freely":  /.  e.,  as  a  gift  (not  "abundantly,"  though  this  also  is  true). 

Vss.  9-16  are  parallel  in  general  to  Mark  6:8-11,  but  are  even  more 
like  Luke  10 :  3-12,  the  commission  of  the  Seventy.  The  words  "  nor  staff  " 
in  vs.  10  (see  also  Luke  9 :  3),  instead  of  "save  a  staff"  in  Mark  6  : 8,  and  the 
variation  in  reference  to  shoes  and  sandals  are  unimportant  differences  by 
which  Matthew  intensifies  the  sternness  of  the  command.  The  general  sense 
is  the  same  in  all  ^— the  simplest  possible  outfit.  Mark's  account  is  doubtless 
the  most  accurate.  Vss.  17-22  are  found  in  Mark  and  Luke  in  an  address  of 
Jesus  the  day  before  his  arrest  (Mark  13:9-13;  Luke  2i  :  12-17).  They 
are  certainly  more  appropriate  to  that  position  —  see  especially  vss.  17,  18. 
Vs.  23  also  refers  evidently  not  to  this  journey,  but  to  the  work  of  the  apostles 


FURTHER    EVANGELIZATION    IN    GALILEE  1 33 

after  the  departure  of  Jesus.  Vss.  26-33  are  closely  parallel  to  Luke  12  :  3-8, 
and  vss.  34-36  to  Luke  12 :  51-53  ;  vss.  37,  38  to  Luke  14  :  26,  27  (there  are 
other  parallels  also),  and  vs.  39  to  Mark  8  :  35,  Luke  9  :  24,  and  John 
12:25.  Vs.  40  is  found  also  in  Luke  10:  16  and  vs.  42  in  Mark  9  :  41.  The 
probability  is,  therefore,  that  Matthew,  in  accordance  with  his  general  habit  of 
grouping  material  topically,  has  gathered  together  vss.  17-42  from  various 
sources  to  constitute  a  great  missionary  discourse.  It  is  impossible  to  say 
whether  any  of  these  sayings  (in  vss.  17-42)  belong  to  this  occasion  ;  it  is 
quite  evident  that  some  of  them  do  not. 

T162.  The  Training  of  the  Twelve. — The  section  just  studied 
illustrates  instructively  Jesus'  attitude  toward  his  apostles.  He  chose 
them  that  they  might  be  with  him  and  that  he  might  train  them  in 
the  same  kind  of  work  which  he  was  himself  doing  (Mark  3  :  14).  In 
the  sermon  on  the  mount  (Matt,  chaps.  5-7)  he  instructs  them  in  the 
fundamental .  moral  principles  of  the  kingdom,  teaching  them  how 
different  was  his  ideal  of  character  from  that  which  the  Pharisees  taught 
and  illustrated.  In  the  parables  by  the  sea  (Mark  4  :  1-34)  he  taught 
them  how  the  kingdom  would  grow,  and  what  hindrances  they  were 
to  expect.  For  some  time,  it  would  seem,  they  accompanied  him  in 
his  journeys  from  place  to  place.  But  at  length  he  sent  them  out  with- 
out him,  yet  in  pairs,  two  by  two.  Thus  little  by  little  he  taught  them 
and  trained  them,  preparing  them  to  share  his  work,  and  to  carry  it 
on  alone  when  he  should  be  taken  away.  Later  narratives  show  this 
training  carried  still  farther.  Almost  the  whole  record  of  his  ministry 
may  be  looked  upon  from  this  point  of  view,  and  as  a  part  of  the  edu- 
cation of  the  apostles. 

^  163.  Notes  on  §  65,  Mark  6  :  14-29. — Vs.  14,  "and  king  Herod  ": 
Herod  Antipas,  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea ;  not  strictly  king,  but 
perhaps  called  so  by  courtesy.  "Heard  thereof":  /.  e.,  of  the  work 
of  Jesus  and  his  disciples.  "  Therefore  do  these  powers  work  in 
him":  the  language  of  a  superstitious  man,  made  more  so  by  his  guilty 
conscience.  The  powers,  he  says,  work  in  him  (not  he  does  the  deeds 
of  power),  as  if  he  were  simply  played  upon  by  supernatural  forces. 
Vs.  15,  "Elijah  ....  one  of  the  prophets":  cf.  Mark  8  :  28.  Vs.  17, 
"Herod  himself  had  sent  forth,"  etc.:  The  evangelist  turns  back  to  tell 
of  the  death  of  John  which  had  happened  some  time  before  —  how 
long  we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  "  Herodias,  his  brother  Philip's 
wife":  Josephus,  the  Jewish  historian,  says  {^Antiquities,  xviii,  5,  4)  that 
she  was  the  wife  of  Herod,  a  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  who  was  without 
political  authority.    Perhaps  this  Herod  also  bore  the  name  Philip  (he 


134  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

was  the  son  of  a  different  mother  from  Philip  the  tetrarch),  or  perhaps 
Mark  confused  the  Herod  who  married  Herodias  with  Philip  his  half- 
brother  who  married  Salome,  the  daughter  of  Herodias,  mentioned  in 
vs.  2  2.  Vs.  1 8,  "  for  John  said  unto  Herod":  not  once,  probably,  but 
repeatedly.  The  courage  of  John  appears  here,  as  in  his  preaching  to 
the  Pha-risees  and  Sadducees  (Matt.  3:  7  ff.).  Vss.  19,  20,  **  Herodias 
.  .  .  .  desired  to  kill  him  ....  Herod  feared  John":  Matt.  14:4,  5, 
gives  a  different,  but  not  an  inconsistent,  account  of  Herod's  attitude  to 
John.  The  whole  narrative  shows  that  it  was  the  malice  and  shrewd- 
ness of  Herodias  which  brought  John  to  his  death.  "  Was  much 
perplexed ;  and  he  heard  him  gladly":  yet  did  nothing  about  it,  lack- 
ing the  courage  to  take  a  bold  stand  against  his  wife.  Vs.  21,  "a  con- 
venient day,"  for  Herodias  to  carry  out  her  cherished  purpose.  "  His 
lords,  and  the  high  captains  and  the  chief  men  of  Galilee":  chief  civil 
oflficers,  military  officers,  and  leading  private  citizens.  Vs.  27,  "sent 
forth  a  soldier":  Josephus  {Antiquities,  xviii,  5,  2)  says  that  John  was 
put  to  death  at  Machaerus,  a  castle  on  the  east  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  in 
Herod's  Perean  dominion.  Whether  the  feast  also  took  place  there  is 
not  certain. 

Vs.  29,  "His  disciples":  /.  ^.,  John's.  These  must  not  be  confused 
with  Jesus'  discjples,  nor  their  report  of  the  event  to  Jesus  (Matt. 
14:  12)  with  the  return  of  the  apostles  to  Jesus  after  their  preaching 
tour.  Matt.  14  :  13  suggests  such  a  confusion,  but  the  account  of 
Mark  is  clear,  and  places  the  death  of  John  before  the  mission  of  the 
Twelve. 

^164.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study.— (i)  Tell  the 
story  of  the  rejection  at  Nazareth  as  told  in  Mark.  (2)*  By 
what  conflicting  feelings  were  the  Nazarenes  moved  ?  Which 
feeling  did  they  follow?  (3)*  Under  what  circumstances  are 
we  in  danger  of  making  the  same  mistake  ?  (4)  What  additions 
should  we  probably  make  to  this  narrative  from  Luke  4  :  16-30  ? 

(5)  What  prevented  Jesus  doing  any  mighty  work  in  Nazareth  ? 

(6)  Why  did  it  do  so?  (7)  Why  is  faith  a  condition  of  the 
obtaining  of  blessing  on  our  part?  (8)*  What  light  does  this 
narrative  throw  incidentally  upon  the  home  life  and  early  occu- 
pation of  Jesus  ? 

(9)*  What  moved  Jesus  to  send  out  his  apostles?  (10) 
What  did  he  commission  them  to  do  ?      (ii)*  To  whom  did  he 


FURTHER    EVANGELIZATION    IN    GALILEE  1 35 

restrict  their  work  on  this  occasion?  (12)*  Was  this  a  tem- 
porary or  permanent  restriction?  Give  the  evidence.  (13) 
What  directions  did  he  give  them  concerning  their  journey  ? 
(14)  What  was- the  purpose  of  these  instructions?  (15)*  What 
advantage  was  there  in  sending  them  two  by  two  ?  (16)*  Could 
all  these  directions  be  followed  literally  in  foreign  mission  work 
today  ?  Why  ?  Is  there  any  principle  underlying  them  that  we 
can  still  apply?  (17)*  How  are  the  specific  injunctions  of  Jesus 
to  his  disciples  (on  this  or  any  occasion)  to  be  applied  by  us 
today?  (18)  Was  all  of  the  latter  portion  of  the  discourse  in 
Matthew  (chap.  10)  spoken  to  the  disciples  on  this  occasion  ? 
(19)  Why  does  Matthew  bring  it  in  here?  (20)  What  two 
other  long  discourses  in  Matthew  have  we  already  studied  ? 

(21)  What  did  Herod  say  when  he  heard  of  the  work  of 
Jesus?  (22)  Who  was  this  Herod  and  what  was  his  territory  ? 
(23)  Relate  the  story  of  the  imprisonment  and  death  of  John 
the  Baptist.  (24)*  What  characteristic  of  John  does  his  con- 
duct illustrate?  (25)  What  light  does  the  narrative  throw  upon 
the  character  of  Herod,  Herodias,  and  Salome?  (26)  Compare 
the  two  men,  John  and  Herod. 

^165.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xv  of  your  "  Life  of  Christ" 
on  somewhat  the  following  plan  : 

1.  The  rejection  at  Nazareth  (combining  with  the  narrative  of  Mark 
and  Matthew  the  additional  facts  of  Luke  4 :  16-30). 

2.  The  mission  of  the  Twelve,  and  the  continued  work  of  Jesus. 

3.  Herod  Antipas  and  his  idea  of  Jesus,  including  the  narrative  of 
the  death  of  John  which  gave  occasion  to  Herod's  remark  about  Jesus. 

^166.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  An  outline  of  the  life  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  an  estimate  of 
his  character  (based  on  a  study  of  the  gospel  record). 

2.  Herod  Antipas. 

Mathews,  New  Testament  Times,  pp.  148-54;  RiGGS,  A  History  of  the  Jews, 
pp.  236-40;  ScniJK^K,  Jewish  People,  Div.  I,  Vol.  II,  pp.  17-38;  Bible  Dictionaries. 

3.  Jesus'  plan  and  method  in  the  training  of  the  Twelve. 

4.  Were  there  two  rejections  at  Nazareth  ? 

5.  Matthew's  method  in  the  construction  of  the  discourses  in  the 
first  gospel. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM. 

§66.  The  feeding  of  the  five  thousand. 

Matt.  14  :  13-23.     Mark  6  :  30-46.     Luke  9  :  10-17.     John  6  : 1-15. 
§67.  Jesus  walking  on  the  water. 

Matt.  14  :  24-36.     Mark  6  :  47-56.  John  6  :  16-21. 

§68.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life.  .  John  6  :  22-71. 

§69.  Discourse  on  eating  with  unwashed  hands. 

Matt.  15  : 1-20.       Mark  7  : 1-23. 

^  167.  Notes  on  §66,  Mark  6  :  30-46. — Vs.  30,  "gather  themselves 
together  unto  Jesus":  probably  at  Capernaum,  which  was  the  head- 
quarters of  Jesus'  work  throughout  his  Galilean  ministry.  "Told  him 
all  things  whatsoever  they  had  done":  /.  ^.,  on  their  tour  (6:12,  13). 
Vs.  31,  "come  ye  yourselves  apart  ....  and  rest  a  while":  a  needed 
vacation  after  work.  Vs.  32,  "in  the  boat  to  a  desert  place  apart": 
some  uninhabited  spot  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and,  as  Mark 
6  ."45,  53  and  John  6:17  show,  across  the  sea  from  Gennesaret  and 
Capernaum,  and,  according  to  Luke  9  :  10,  in  the  territory  of  Beih- 
saida.  The  grassy  plain  {cf.  vs.  39)  of  Butaiha  on  the  northeastern 
shore  of  the  sea  is  often  thought  to  have  been  the  place,  and  fulfils 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  conditions  of  the  narrative.  See  ^  169.  Vs.  34, 
"came  forth":  from  the  boat,  the  people  having  arrived  in  advance  of 
him.  "Had  compassion":  Cf.  Matt.  9:36,  and  II161.  "And  he 
began  to  teach  them  ":  giving  up  the  rest  he  had  sought.  Vs.  37,  "  give 
ye  them  to  eat":  His  compassion  will  not  permit  him  to  send  them 
away  hungry,  yet  neither  does  he  take  the  whole  matter  into  his  own 
hands ;  he  puts  a  responsibility  upon  his  disciples.  "  Two  hundred 
pennyworth":  two  hundred  denarii,  equivalent  to  about  ^34,  but  of 
much  greater  purchasing  value,  a  denarius  being  the  day's  wages  of  a 
laborer.  Whether  the  disciples  had  as  much  as  this  is  not  distinctly 
implied.  Vs.  38,  "how  many  loaves":  the  loaf  was  a  thin  cake,  not 
unlike  a  large  cracker.  Vs.  39,  "  upon  the  green  grass":  this  indicates 
that  the  season  was  spring,  or,  possibly,  autumn ;  the  grass  withers 
early  in  the  summer.  Vs.  41,  "looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed": 
blessed  God,  gave  thanks  for  the  food. 

Vss.  45,  46,  "  constrained  his  disciples  to  enter  into  the  boat  .... 
departed  into  the  mountain  to  pray":  The   reason   for  this  urgency 

136 


THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM  1 37 

to  separate  the  disciples  from  the  people  is  not  found  in  Mark,  but  is 
suggested  in  John  6  :  14,  15.  The  desire  of  the  multitude  to  make  him 
king  made  an  atmosphere  that  was  unsafe  for  the  disciples  and  was  a 
temptation  to  him,  from  which  he  took  refuge  in  prayer. 

The  narratives  of  Matthew  (14:  13-23)  and  Luke  (9  :  10-17)  are 
somewhat  more  condensed  than  Mark,  but  add  also  some  slight  details. 
Both  mention  that  Jesus  healed  the  sick  among  the  multitude,  and 
Luke  locates  the  event  at  Bethsaida  (9  :  10),  /.  e.,  in  the  territory  adja- 
cent to  Bethsaida  Julias,  not  in  the  city  itself  (vs.  12).  John's  narra- 
tive has  much  more  that  is  pecular  to  it.      See  1|  168. 

^  168.  Notes  on  §66,  John  6  :  1-15. — Vs.  2,  "because  they  beheld 
the  signs,  which  he  did  on  them  that  were  sick":  Cf.  Matt.  14:  14; 
Luke  9:11.  Vs.  3,  "Jesus  went  up  into  the  mountain":  a  different 
representation  of  the  matter  from  that  of  Mark  6  :  33,  34  (is  it  a  cor- 
rection from  John's  memory?),. but  an  unimportant  difference.  Vs.  4, 
"the  Passover  ....  was  at  hand":  This  would  place  the  event  in 
the  spring,  March  or  April,  thus  in  agreement  with  Mark  6  :  39.  Vss. 
5-9  :  Notice  here  also  additional  details,  especially  the  part  that  the 
several  disciples  took  in  the  matter.  These  disciples  are  the  same  which 
this  gospel  mentions  by  name  elsewhere  (John  1:40,  43  ff.;  12:21,  22; 
14:8,  9). 

Vs.  14,  "  the  prophet  that  cometh  into  the  world  ":  The  people'  evi- 
dently recalled  the  promise  of  Moses,  "  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up 
unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto 
me ;  unto  him  shall  ye  hearken  "  (Deut.  18:15),  and  seeing  in  the  fact 
that  Jesus  fed  them  in  the  wilderness  with  bread  miraculously  provided 
a  likeness  to  Moses,  who  fed  their  fathers  with  manna  {cf.  John  6  :  30, 
31),  they  concluded  that  Jesus  was  the  promised  prophet.  This  was 
such  a  prophet  as  they  wished,  one  who  would  feed  them. 

Vs.  15,  "about  to  come  and  take  him  by  force,  to  make  him  king": 
leader  of  a  messianic  movement  after  their  own  conception  of  the 
Messiah.  Apparently  they  identified  the  prophet  of  Deut.  18  :  15  with 
the  Messiah,  though  the  Pharisees  seem  to  have  distinguished  them 
(John  1:20,  21).  "Withdrew  again  into  the  mountain":  Mark  and 
Matthew  add  "to  pray."  This  was  just  such  a  temptation  on  a  small 
scale,  but  in  visible,  tangible  form,  as  he  had  overcome  in  the  wilder- 
ness long  before  (Matt.  4  :  8-10).  It  is  most  instructive  to  observe  that 
Jesus  does  not  dally  with  the  temptation  for  a  moment.  He  sends  the 
multitude  one  way,  the  disciples  another,  and  betakes  himself  to  soli- 
tude and  prayer. 


138  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^169.  Bethsaida. —  Mark,  Matthew,  and  John  all  imply  that  the  feeding 
of  the  five  thousand  took  place  across  the  Sea  of  Galilee  from  Gennesaret  and 
Capernaum  (Mark  6:32,  45,  53;  Matt.  14:  13,  22,  34;  John  6:1,  17,  21). 
But  while  Mark  (6  :  45)  places  it  across  the  sea  from  Bethsaida,  Luke  (9  :  10) 
places  it  in  the  territory  of  Bethsaida.  Luke's  statement  is  naturally  under- 
stood as  referring  to  Bethsaida  Julias,  which  was  situated  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Jordan  at  or  near  its  entrance  into  the  lake,  thus  on  the  western  edge  of  the 
plain  of  Butaiha.  It  had  been  enlarged  and  advanced  to  the  dignity  of  a  city 
by  Philip,  and  by  him  named  Julias  (Josephus,  Antiquities,  xviii,  2,  i). 
Mark's  statements  taken  alone  might  be  consistently  interpreted,  though  not 
without  some  difficulty,  by  supposing  that  the  feeding  occurred  farther  south 
than  Butaiha,  so  that  one  might  set  out  from  the  place  where  it  occurred  to 
cross  to  Bethsaida,  and  then  by  a  departure  from  the  intended  course  come 
to  Gennesaret.  But  the  several  accounts  can  with  difficulty  be  harmonized 
except  by  supposing  that  besides  Bethsaida  Julias  on  the  northeast  shore  there 
was  a  Bethsaida  on  the  western  shore  of  the  sea  also,  and  even  Mark 
alone  is  most  naturally  so  understood.  Tfiis  view  of  two  Bethsaidas  is  also 
confirmed  by  the  fact  that  John  12:21  speaks  distinctly  of  Bethsaida  of 
Galilee,  while  Bethsaida  Julias  is  shown  to  have  been  outside  of  Galilee,  not 
only  by  its  lying  east  of  the  Jordan,  but  more  decisively  by  Josephus'  descrip- 
tion of  it  as  in  Philip's  territory.  Precisely  where  this  western  Bethsaida 
was  cannot  be  determined  more  definitely  than  that  it  was  probably  near 
Capernaum  and  in  or  near  the  Gennesaret  tract. 

Robinson,  Bib.  Res.,  Vol.  II,  pp,  405,  406,  413;  MacGregor,  Rob  Roy  on  the 
Jordan,  chap.  21;  E wing,  in  Hastings,  Diet.  Bib.;  Henderson,  Palestine,  ^^}^.  156  f., 
hold  to  two  Bethsaidas.  Thompson,  Land  and  Book,  Central  Palestine,  pp.  392  f., 
422  f.;  G.  A.  Smith,  Historical  Geography,  p.  458,  and  in  Encycl.  Bib.,  and  others 
reject  this  theory,  admitting  only  Bethsaida  Julias. 

^170.  Notes  on  §67,  Mark  6:47-56. — Vs.  48,  "about  the  fourth 
watch  of  the  night":  between  3  and  6  a.  m.,  the  night  being  divided 
into  four  watches  of  about  three  hours  each.  This  is  the  Roman  method 
of  reckoning;  the  Jews  made  but  three  watches.  "And  he  would  have 
passed  by  them":  literally,  he  wished  to  ;  he  intended  to  do  so  if  they 
did  not  call  to  him.  Vs.  52,  "  for  they  understood  not  concerning  the 
loaves":  a  comment  of  the  evangelist,  meaning  that  the  evidence  of 
his  power  which  he  had  given  in  feeding  the  multitude  should  have 
prepared  them  not  to  be  surprised  at  this  power  over  nature.  "  But 
their  heart  was  hardened":  their  spiritual  insight  dulled.  The  word 
** heart"  in  Scripture  often  denotes  the  mind,  especially  as  concerned 
with  spiritual  truth.     See  Mark  2:8;  3:5. 

Vs.  53,  "Gennesaret":  a  tract  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  from  Magdala  on  the  south  to  et  Tabghah  on  the  north,  and  extending 


THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM 


139 


backward  to  the  irregular  line  of  the  hills  that  bound  it  on  the  west.  It 
is  clear  that  whether  they  started  for  the  northern  or  the  western  shore  they 
reached  at  any  rate  the  latter. 

Matthevy  (14  :  24-36)  adds  to  Mark's  narrative  the  incident  of  Peter's 
attempt  to  walk  upon  the  water,  and  the  confession  of  those  who  were 
in  the  boat,  "Of  a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of  God." 

John  (6  :  16-21)  speaks  of  Capernaum  as  their  destination,  and  men- 
tions, as  the  distance  which  they  had  rowed  when  they  saw  Jesus,  twenty- 


KHAN   .MiN\i^.tl  ANJJ   itlh.  fLAlS   ut   GENNESARET 


five  or  thirty  stadia,  a  little  more  or  less  than  three  miles,  the  stadium 
being  about  one-ninth  of  a  mile.  Vs.  21,  "they  were  willing  therefore 
to  receive  him  into  the  boat":  probably  means  that  their  previous  reluc- 
tance was  overcome,  and  is  to  be  understood  as  implying  that  they 
did  actually  receive  him. 

^171.  Notes  on  §68,  John  6 :  22-71. — Vss.  22-24,  "on  the  morrow," 
etc.:  This  somewhat  complicated  sentence  may  be  paraphrased  thus: 
The  next  day  after  the  feeding  of  the  multitude,  the  people,  return- 
ing to  the  place  where  Jesus  had  fed  them,  were  surprised  not  to 
find  him  there,  for  they  had   seen   his  disciples  go  away  without  him 


140  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

in  the  only  boat  that  was  then  on  that  side  of  the  sea.  So  they  got 
into  the  boats  which  meantime  had  come  across  from  Tiberias,  and 
returned  to  Capernaum  seelcing  Jesus.  Vs.  25,  "when  camest  thou 
hither?":  They  wish  him  to  explain  his  mysterious  disappearance. 
Vs.  26,  "ye  seek  me,  not  because  ye  saw  signs":  a  most  severe  rebuke; 
Jesus  was  never  pleased  to  be  followed  merely  because  of  his  signs  {cf. 
John  2  :  23-25);  but  he  tells  these  people  that  their  motive  was  lower 
still :  they  wholly  failed  to  see  the  true  significance  of  the  sign,  and 
followed  him  simply  to  be  fed.  Vs.  27,  "work  not  for  the  meat  (food) 
that  perishes":  Taking  as  his  starting-point  their  desire  for  mere 
food,  Jesus  tries  to  lead  them  to  a  higher  ambition.  Recall  his  similar 
conduct  in  the  case  of  the  woman  of  Samaria.  "For  him  the  Father, 
even  God,  hath  sealed":    authenticated  as  his  representative  to  give 

men  eternal  life.     Vs.  30,  "what  then  doest  thou  for  a  sign 

Our  fathers  ate  the  manna":  By  these  words  the  multitude  show  clearly 
what  kind  of  a  sign  they  want;  they  wish  to  be  fed  daily  as  Moses  fed 
the  people  in  the  wilderness.  Vs.  32,  "it  was  not  Moses":  The  bread 
that  Moses  gave  was  not  the  real  bread  out  of  heaven ;  it  was  only  a 
symbol  and  suggestion  ;  Jesus  himself  is  the  real  bread  from  heaven. 
Vs.  35,  "  I  am  the  bread  of  life,"  etc.:  Cf.  John  4:14;  14:6.  Vss.  36, 
37,  "but  I  said  unto  you,"  etc.:  Though  they  reject  him,  others  whom 
God  has  given  him  will  accept  him,  and  if  they  reject  him  it  is  because 
they  are  not  really  the  children  of  God. 

Vss.  41-51.  The  Jews,  laying  hold  of  the  expression  "came  down 
out  of  heaven,"  object  to  this  because  they  know  his  father  and  mother. 
Jesus  answers  that  the  trouble  with  them  is  that  they  are  not  of  those 
who  are  taught  of  God,  and  reiterates  his  statement  that  he,  and  not 
the  manna  that  Moses  gave,  is  the  bread  of  life  that  gives  eternal  life 
to  those  that  eat  it.  He  puts  this  thought  very  forcibly  and,  to  his 
hearers,  even  offensively:  "The  bread  which  I  will  give  is  my  flesh, 
for  the  life  of  the  world." 

Vss.  52-59.  The  Jews  now  lay  hold  of  this  expression,  "eat  of 
this  bread;  ....  the  bread  ....  is  my  flesh,"  and  ask:  "How  can 
this  man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat?"  Jesus  answers  by  insisting  in 
repeated  phrase  that  just  this  they  must  do  if  they  would  have  eternal 
life :  they  must  eat  his  flesh  and  drink  his  blood.  No  food  such  as 
the  fathers  ate  in  the  wilderness  can  give  eternal  life.    * 

Vs.  60,  "many  therefore  of  his  disciples":  not  the  Twelve,  who  are 
distinguished  from  the  disciples  in  vs.  66,  but  the  larger  circle  of  his 
followers  and  adherents.     "  When  they  heard  this":  The  reference  is 


THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM  I4I 

probably  not  to  this  occasion  (the  evangelist  seems  to  end  the  dis- 
course in  the  synagogue  with  vs.  58),  but  as  the  report  of  these  words 
went  abroad.  Vs.  62,  "what  then,"  etc.:  Suppose  I  disappear  from 
sight  altogether,  will  it  not  then  be  evident  that  I  am  not  speaking  of 
a  literal  eating  of  flesh?  Vs.  63,  "it  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth": 
This  is  Jesus'  own  interpretation  of  his  language  concerning  eating  his 
flesh  and  drinking  his  blood ;  he  has  been  speaking,  not  of  any  physi- 
cal process,  but  of  a  spiritual  appropriation  of  himself  which  takes  place 
through  following  the  teaching  which  he  utters.  He  who  studies  his 
words  earnestly  and  .faithfully,  so  that  they  become  the  ruling  force  of 
his  life,  eats  the  flesh  and  drinks  the  blood  of  Jesus ;  for  the  teaching 
of  Jesus  is  the  expression  of  the  character  of  Jesus.  To  conform  to  it 
is,  therefore,  to  make  one''s  own  character  like  that  of  Jesus.  So  he 
explains  also  the  figure  of  the  vine  and  the  branches  (John  15:7  ff.). 

Vs.  66,  "many  of  his  disciples":  See  vs.  60.  Vs.  68,  *' Simon  Peter 
answered  him,  'Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the  words  of 
eternal  life'":  a  question  and  an  assertion  of  which  the  centuries  have 
only  served  to  show  the  truth.  Never  was  it  more  clear  than  it  is 
today  that  the  words  of  Jesus  are  the  words  of  eternal  life,  and  that 
there  is  no  one  to  whom,  turning  from  him,  we  can  go  for  guidance 
and  salvation.  Vs.  69,  "and  we  have  believed  and  know  that  thou  art 
the  Holy  One  of  God":  a  confession  of  the  messiahship  of  Jesus 
which  must  be  the  same  as  that  recorded  in  Mark  8  :  29;  Matt.  16  :  16; 
Luke  9  :  20.  The  time  is  in  general  the  same,  following  the  feeding  of 
the  five  thousand,  none  of  the  events  which  the  synoptists  record 
between  this  latter  event  and  the  confession  of  Peter  being  found  in 
John.  John  himself  intimates  by  vs.  59  that  they  belong  at  a  later  time 
than  the  discourse  in  the  synagogue.  And  the  importance  which  the 
synoptists  attach  to  the  confession  at  Caesarea  Philippi  makes  it  diffi- 
cult to  suppose  that  it  had  been  shortly  preceded  by  this  confession  of 
so  nearly  the  same  import. 

^172.  Notes  on  §69,  Mark  7  : 1-23. — Vs.  i,  "the  Pharisees  and  cer- 
tain of  the  scribes  which  had  come  down  from  Jerusalem":  either  Gali- 
lean scribes  and  Pharisees  who  had  recently  been  to  Jerusalem,  or  a 
delegation  from  Jerusalem  ;  probably  the  latter.  Cf.  3:22.  The  lead- 
ers at  the  capital  follow  him  even  into  Galilee.  Vs.  3,  "holding 
the  tradition  of > the  elders":  a  phrase  which  shows  that  all  these  regu- 
lations were  religious,  not  sanitary  or  matters  of  social  propriety.  The 
tradition  of  the  elders  is  that  body  of  teachings  and  usages  which  had 
gradually  grown  up  among  the  Pharisees.     Cf.  Gal.  1:14.    The  elders 


142  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

are  the  teachers  of  preceding  generations.  Vs.  4,  *'  excepJt  they  wash 
themselves  "  :  bathe  themselves ;  the  law  required  this  for  many  kinds 
of  defilement  (see  Lev.,  chaps.  14,  15,  16),  and  the  Pharisees  had  appar- 
ently extended  it  to  include  the  case  of  such  defilement  as  one  would 
probably,  even  without  knowing  it,  contract  in  the  marketplace.  Vs. 
5,  "why  walk  not  thy  disciples  according  to  the  tradition  of  the 
elders?":  It  must  be  remembered  that  these  traditions  had  for  the 
Pharisees  all  the  force  and  sacredness  of  law;  even  as  in  modern  times 
many  Christians  are  apt  to  be  more  tenacious  of  the  usages  and  tradi- 
tions of  their  sect  than  studious  of  the  Scriptures  or  eager  to  find  out 
the  real  truth.  Vs.  6,  "well  did  Isaiah  prophesy  of  you  hypocrites"  : 
appropriately  did  he  describe  a  national  characteristic,  common  to  your 
ancestors  and  to  you.  The  quotation  is  frotn  Isa.  29  :  13,  though  not 
literally  exact.  Vs.  10,  "for  Moses  said,"  etc.:  an  illustration  of  the 
statement  of  vss.  8,  9.  The  commandment  to  honor  one's  parents  is  a 
command  of  God.  Cf.  Matt.  15:4.  Vs.  11,  "but  ye  say,"  etc.:  This 
extraordinary  practice  defended  by  the  Pharisees,  by  which  a  man 
might,  by  applying  to  his  property  the  term  "Corban,"  properly  signi- 
fying that  it  was  devoted  to  God,  in  reality  simply  exclude  it  from  the 
use  of  a  particular  person,  is  well  authenticated  in  Jewish  writings  (see 
Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus  ^  Vol.  II,  pp.  19  ff.).  Vs.  12,  "ye  no  longer 
suffer  him  to  do  aught":  not  only  did  not  require  him,  but  forbade 
him  to  do  anything  for  his  parents  (see  Edersheim,  p.  21,  footnote). 
Vs.  13,  "the  word  of  God,"  viz.:  the  command  to  honor  one's  parents. 

Vs.  14,  "hear  me,  all  of  you":  the  question  of  defilement  had 
given  rise  to  the  broader  one  of  human  tradition  and  divine  authority. 
Jesus  calls  them  back  now  to  the  particular  question  of  defilement. 
Vs.  15,  "there  is  nothing  from  without  the  man,"  etc.:  This  is  one 
of  the  most  notable  of  those  brief,  profound  sayings  of  Jesus  in  which 
he  sets  forth  fundamental  moral  principles.  The  contrast,  of  course, 
as  the  context  shows,  is  between  physical  food  that  goes  into  the  man, 
and  moral  action  which  proceeds  from  him. 

Vs.  18,  "perceive  ye  not"  :  Jesus  appeals  to  the  moral  percep- 
tions, the  common-sense,  of  his  disciples,  and  that  as  against,  not  only 
the  traditions  of  the  elders^  but  the  statutes  of  the  Old  Testament  law. 
(See  below,  on  vs.  19.)  The  fact  is  one  of  the  greatest  significance. 
It  shows,  not  only  that  Jesus  had  within  himself  a  standard  of  authority 
in  morals  higher  than  that  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  one  by  which  this 
latter  was  to  be  tested,  but  that  this  standard  was  shared,  though  with 
far  less  clearness  of  perception,  by  other  men.     He  finds  fault  with 


THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM  143 

them  for  no*t  perceiving  this  great  principle  which  he  announces.  It 
shows,  too,  that  when  he  calls  the  fifth  commandment  the  word  of  God 
(vs.  13)  he  does  so,  not  because  it  is  in  the  Old  Testament,  but 
because  he  perceives  in  it  a  revelation  of  the  will  of  God.  Compare 
with  this  his  teaching  concerning  fasting  and  divorce.  Vs.  19, 
"making  all  meats  clean"  :  a  comment  of  the  evangelist  (or  of  Peter), 
who  perceived  that  the  principle  which  Jesus  laid  down,  self-evident 
when  once  stated,  swept  away  the  whole  system  of  clean  and  unclean 
foods.  {Cf.  Acts  10:9-16;  I  Tim.  4:3.)  Vs.  23,  "all  these  evil 
things  proceed  from,  within,  and  defile  the  man "  :  notice  the  last 
clause  :  the  evil  that  men  do,  their  evil  thoughts  and  deeds,  do  not 
simply  show  their  wickedness,  but  defile  them,  make  them  wicked.  We 
are  the  creators  of  our  own  evil  character. 

•"173.  The  Characteristics  and  Results  of  the  Second  Period  of  the  Galilean 
Ministry. — With  the  sections  included  in  chap,  xvi  we  reach  the  close  of 
the  second  period  of  the  Galilean  ministry,  a  period  central  chronologically 
and  of  exceptional  importance  from  the  point  of  view  of  aggressive  evangel- 
istic work.  The  period  opens  with  the  selection  of  the  twelve  apostles  and 
the  organization  of  them  into  a  fraternity  of  pupils  of  Jesus  and  fellow- 
workers  with  him.  The  instruction  and  training  of  these  disciples  occupies  a 
large  place  throughout  the  period.  Definite  instruction  is  given  in  the 
sermon  on  the  mount,  in  the  parables  by  the  sea,  and  in  the  injunctions 
given  on  sending  them  out  two  by  two.  They  receive  practical  training, 
first  by  accompanying  Jesus  in  his  work,  and  then  by  going  out  two  by  two  to 
do  such  work  themselves.  Active  evangelization,  accompanied  by  the  heal- 
ing of  the  sick  and  the  demoniacs,  is  continued  as  in  the  previous  period, 
and  even  more  extensively,  since  the  disciples  are  now  also  employed  in 
the  work. 

The  attitude  of  the  people  was  in  the  beginning  favorable  —  this  has 
sometimes  been  called,  though  not  quite  accurately,  the  year  of  popular 
favor.  Even  the  opposition  of  the  Pharisees  is  apparently  dormant  for  a 
time.  But  toward  the  end  of  the  period  a  marked  change  takes  place  in  the 
attitude  of  the  people.  Just  when  the  popular  favor  is  brought  to  its  height 
by  Jesus'  feeding  of  the  multitude  on  the  east  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  he 
himself  pricks  the  bubble  by  resolutely  refusing  to  be  such  a  prophet  and 
Messiah  as  they  desire,  and  presenting  in  its  barest  and  to  the  people  most 
unattractive  form  the  exclusivel)'  spiritual  character  of  his  mission.  Not  bread 
such  as  Moses  gave,  but  his  own  spirit  and  teaching — this  is  what  he  has  to 
give  to  those  who  will  follow  him.  Many  of  his  disciples  go  back,  and  walk 
no  more  with  him,  but  the  Twelve  remain  true.  At  about  this  same  time 
Jesus  has  a  controversy  with  Pharisees  and  scribes  who  had  come  from 
Jerusalem,  and  with  unsparing  plainness  denounces  them  as  hypocrites  who 


144  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

were  making  void,  the  word  of  God  by  the  traditions  of  men.  Thus  the 
period  which  opened  with  multitudes  following  him  in  all  parts  of  Syria 
(§  47)  ends  with  disappointment  on  the  part  of  the  multitude,  abandonment  of 
him  by  many  of  his  followers,  and  intensified  opposition  on  the  part  of  the 
Pharisees.  It  need  not  surprise  us  to  find  the  next  period  opening  with  the 
withdrawal  of  Jesus  into  temporary  retirement.  The  conditions  in  Galilee 
were  no  longer  favorable  for  further  evangelistic  work. 

The  salient  features  of  the  period  are,  therefore,  organization,  instruction 
of  the  Twelve,  evangelization  ;  popularity  at  the  beginning  but  waning  at  the 
end,  opposition  increasing.  Despite  the  reception  of  Jesus  with  which  his 
work  in  Galilee  opened,  it  is  now  certain  that  not  even  here  can  he  peaceably 
develop  his  kingdom,  and  that  the  path  to  ultimate  success  is  by  the  way  of 
rejection  and  death.  The  most  definite  positive  result  of  these  months  of 
work  is  the  little  band  of  Twelve  who,  however  imperfect  their  ideas  of 
Jesus'  kingdom  and  person,  are  yet  living  with  him,  faithful  to  him,  and 
willing  to  be  led  and  taught  by  him. 


^  174.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i )  What  sug- 
gestion did  Jesus  make  to  the  apostles  on  their  return  from  their 
preaching  tour?  (2)*  How  was  Jesus'  plan  for  a  period  of  rest 
broken  into?  (3)*  What  two  principles  respecting  a  vacation 
for  rest  does  Jesus'  conduct  suggest?  (4)  Tell  the  story  of 
the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand.  (5)  Is  it  legitimate  to  inter- 
pret this  event  as  at  the  same  time  a  parable  of  the  way  in  which 
Jesus  expects  his  disciples  to  respond  to  the  needs  of  the  world  ? 
(6)  Does  it  apply  to  both  material  and  spiritual  needs?  (7)  Is 
there  any  difference  in  the  principles  that  apply  to  the  two  classes 
of  needs  ?  Is  what  we  possess,  whether  of  material  or  spiritual 
good,  a  trust  to  be  used  for  the  common  good  ?  (8)*  Treated 
as  a  parable,  what  does  this  event  teach  us  concerning  work  for 
the  needy  ? 

(9)  On  the  theory  that  there  were  two  Bethsaidas,  describe 
the  journeys  to  and  fro  narrated  in  §§  66,  67,  68.  On  the 
theory  that  there  was  but  one  Bethsaida,  do  the  same.  (10) 
Tell  the  story  of  Jesus'  walking  on  the  water,  including  Peter's 
attempt  to  go  to  him.      (11)    What  and  where  is  Gennesaret  ? 

(12)    Paraphrase  John  6  :  22-24.     '( 1 3)  *' With  what  motives 


THE    CRISIS    AT    CAPERNAUM  1 45 

did  these  people  seek  Jesus?  (14)  Do  men  ever  profess  to  be 
disciples  of  Jesus  from  similar  motives  today  ?  Give  illustra- 
tions. (15)*  What  kind  of  a  prophet  did  the  people  think  they 
had  found  in  Jesus?  (16)  What  led  them  to  form  this  notion? 
(17)*  What  is  the  one  idea  that  Jesus  is  reiterating  in  vss. 
34-40  ? 

(18)*  What  prejudice  does  Jesus  combat  in  vss.  43-51,  and 
what  is  the  thought  with  which  he  constantly  opposes  it  ?  (19)  * 
What  misunderstanding  of  Jesus'  thought  do  the  Jews  express 
in  vs.  52,  and  how  does  Jesus  answer  them  ?  (20)  How  were 
many  of  Jesus'  disciples  affected  by  this  strange  teaching  (vs. 
60)  ?  (21)*  What  is  Jesus'  own  interpretation  of  his  language 
concerning- eating  his  flesh?  (22)  How  were  some  of  the  dis- 
ciples affected  by  the  teaching  even  as  thus  explained  (vs.  66)  ? 
(23)  What  was  the  effect  upon  the  Twelve?  (24)*  What  is 
the  one  great  teaching  that  you  gain  from  this  discourse? 

(25)  What  custom  of  the  Pharisees  did  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
violate  (Mark  7:2)?  (26)  What  other  similar  customs  did  the 
Pharisees  observe?  (27)  What  was  the  general  name  for  all 
these  usages?  (28)  Did  they  regard  these  as  social  usages 
merely,  or  did  they  attach  religious  value  to  them  ?  (29)  *  What 
was  Jesus'  answer  to  the  Pharisees  who  asked  him  why  his  disci- 
ples disregarded  their  traditions?  Explain  vss.  6-9.  (30)  What 
illustrations  did  Jesus  give  of  his  general  statement  ?  (31)*  What 
does  *•  Corban  "  mean  and  what  was  the  Corban  usage  ?  (32)* 
What  does  the  phrase  '*the  word  of  God"  mean  and  refer  to? 
(33)*  State  and  explain  the  great  principle  concerning  defile- 
ment which  Jesus  announced  to  the  multitude.  (34)  What 
kind  of  defilement  is  Jesus  speaking  of  ?  Does  he  recognize  any 
such  thing  as  ceremonial  defilement?  (35)*  To  what  does 
Jesus  appeal  as  evidence  of  the  truth  of  his  statement  (vss.  18, 
19)  ^  (36)  *  How  does  his  principle  affect  the  law  of  clean  and 
unclean  meats?  (37)*  Upon  whom  does  it  put  the  responsi- 
bility for  each  man's  sin?  (38)  What  solemn  warning  applicable 
to  us  does  it  convey?  (39)  What  are  the  salient  features  of 
this  second  period  of  the  Galilean  ministry?  (40)  Mention 
events  illustrating  each  of  these  features. 


146  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

^175.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xvi  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  following  the  outline  indicated  by  the  section  titles.  Make  a 
diligent  effort  to  realize  distinctly  the  situation  as  it  is  shown  in  these 
sections,  and  to  express  it  in  your  interpretation  of  them.  What  con- 
stitutes this  a  crisis  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  ? 

^176.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Bethsaida  Julias  and  Bethsaida  of  Galilee.     See  references  under 

1 169. 

2.  The  temptations  of  Jesus  in  the  course  of  his  ministry. 

3.  The  nature  of  Christian  experience  as  set  forth  in  John  6  :  22-71. 

4.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  the  nature  and  cause  of  sin  in 
Mark  7  :  1-23. 

^  177.  Review  Questions. — ( i )  *  Name  the  periods  of  the  life 
of  Christ  thus  far  studied.  (2)  *  Name  the  chapters,  or  the  sec- 
tions, or  the  chapters  and  the  sections,  of  Part  I ;  (3)  *  of  Part 
II;  (4)*of  Part  III;  (5)*  of  Part  IV;  (6)  *  of  Part  V.  (7)* 
Characterize  in  a  general  way  the  period  of  Jesus'  life  covered 
by  Part  I.  (8)  *  Give  the  substance  of  John  the  Baptist's  early 
message.  (9)  *  What  was  his  conception  of  the  Messiah  ?  (10)* 
State  briefly  the  significance  to  Jesus  of  his  baptism,  and  of  his 
temptations  in  the  wilderness.  ( 1 1  )*  Who  were  the  first  disciples 
to  follow  Jesus?  By  what  were  they  drawn  to  him?  (12) 
Tell  briefly  the  story  of  Nicodemus.  Of  what  class  was  he  the 
representative?  (13)*  Characterize  the  early  Judean  ministry. 
(14)  Tell  briefly  the  story  of  Jesus'  work  in  Samaria.  (15)* 
What  were  the  characteristics  of  the  first  period  of  Jesus'  minis- 
try in  Galilee  ?  ( 16)  *  What  were  the  most  notable  events  of  the 
second  period?  (17)*  Describe  the  situation  at  the  end  of  the 
period. 

Remark  :  These  review  questions  should  not  be  passed  over.  A  lesson 
may  well  be  given  to  them  and  to  others  which  the  teacher  may  dictate. 


Part  VI. 
THIRD  PERIOD  OF  THE    GALILEAN   MINISTRY, 

FROM  THE  WITHDRAWAL  INTO  NORTHERN  GALILEE  UNTIL 
THE  FINAL  DEPARTURE  FOR  JERUSALEM. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A    NORTHERN    JOURNEY    AND    A    BRIEF     STAY     BY    THE     SEA    OF    GALILEE. 

§70.  Journey  toward  Tyre  and  Sidon ;  the  Syrophoenician  woman's 
daughter. 
Matt.  15  :  21-28.  Mark  7  :  24-30. 

§71.  Return  through  Decapolis ;  many  miracles  of  healing. 

Matt.  15  :  29-31.  Mark  7  :  31-37. 

§72.  The  Feeding  of  the  four  thousand. 

Matt.  15  :  32-38.  Mark  8  : 1-9. 

§73,^'^'e  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  demanding  a  sign  from  heaven. 
\^       Matt.  15:39 — 16:12.     Mark  8  :  10-21. 
§74.  The  blind  man  near  Bethsaida. 
^"^  Mark  8  :  22-26. 

^178.  Notes  on  §70,  Mark  7:24-30.  —  Vs.  24,  "went  away  into  the 
borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon":  /.  e.^  into  Phoenicia,  of  which  Tyre  and 
Sidon  were  the  chief  cities.  Tyre  is  about  thirty-five  miles,  in  an  airline, 
northwest  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  Sidon  about  twenty-five  miles 
farther  north,  both  on  the  Mediterranean  coast.  Phoenicia  was  at  this 
time  included  in  the  Roman  province  of  Syria.  This  journey  carries 
Jesus  entirely  out  of  Jewish  territory.  On  the  reasons  for  his  leaving 
Galilee  at  this  time  see  ^[173.  "Would  have  no  man  know  it":  This 
whole  journey  was  not  for  preaching,  but  for  retirenaent,  and  for  inter- 
course with  the  disciples.  Vs.  26,  "the  woman  was  a  Greek":  i.  <?.,  a 
gentile  ;  she  may  or  may  not  have  spoken  Greek ;  she  was  certainly 
not  of  Hellenic  blood.  "  A  Syrophoenician  by  race":  a  descendant  of 
the  Phoenicians  of  Syria,  as  distinguished  from  the  Phoenicians  (Cartha- 
ginans)  of  Africa.  Matthew  speaks  of  her  as  a  Canaanitish  woman. 
The  terms  Phoenicia  and  Canaan  are  sometimes  used   interchangeably 

147 


148  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

to  denote  the  coastlands  of  Palestine,  especially  from  Carmel  north- 
ward (Isa.  23:11,  and  the  Tel  Amarna  tablets),  though  Canaan  more 
frequently  denotes  the  whole  of  western  Palestine,  from  Lebanon  to  the 
Dead  Sea.  Vs.  27,  "Let  the  children  first  be  filled,"  etc.:  That  the 
blessings  of  the  gospel  were  first  of  all  to  be  offered  to  the  Jews  was 
recognized  by  Jesus  and,  though  not  always  intelligently,  by  the  early 
church.  This  is,  indeed,  only  an  illustration  of  the  possession  by  one 
race  or  people  of  opportunities  superior  to  those  of  others,  of  which 
human  history  furnishes  numberless  examples.  With  this  was  connected 
a  limitation  of  Jesus'  personal  mission  to  his  own  nation,  not  because 
the  gentile  was  of  less  consequence  or  value  than  the  Jew  (see  Luke 
4:25-27)  or  because  Jesus  cared  nothing  for  the  gentiles,  but  because 
in  the  accomplishment  of  his  great  work  for  the  world  it  was  necessary 
that  he  begin  with  his  own  people  and  confine  his  personal  efforts  to 
them  (Matt.  15:24).  Yet  this  limitation  is  not  absolute;  with  suffi- 
cient reason  he  can  go  outside  the  Jewish  natioii^_and  such  a  reason  is 
furnished  by  the  woman's  answer,  hutt^bi5r^  accepting  her  place  and 
expressing  both  eager  desire  and  faith  in  him.  The  whole  incident  is 
most  instructive  as  showing  Jesus'  conception  of  his  personal  mission, 
and  his  attitude  toward  people  outside  his  own  nation. 

^^179.  Notes  on  §71,  Mark  7:31-37. — Vs.  31,  "from  the  borders  of 
Tyre  ...  .  through  Sidon  unto  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  through  the  midst 
of  the  borders  of  Decapolis":  these  words  indicate  an  extended  and 
somewhat  circuitous  journey,  for  the  most  part  entirely  outside  of 
Jewish  territory,  and  hence  (<:/.  Matt.  15:24,  and  the  implications  of 
Mark  7:24-27)  not  a  preaching  tour,  but  one  of  retirement.  From 
Sidon  one  road  led  across  the  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon  mountains, 
directly  east  to  Damascus :  another  led  southeast  to  Csesarea  Philippi. 
The  former  road  passes  over  the  mountains  at  a  height  of  6,000  feet 
and  crosses  the  Leontes  river  on  a  natural  rock  bridge.  This  is  per- 
haps the  road  which  Jesus  took,  going,  if  not  actually  to  Damascus,  at 
least  into  that  region,  and  thence  south  perhaps  to  Canatha,  and  west- 
ward again  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  If  he  followed  the  road  to  Caesarea 
Philippi,  he  must  have  passed  thence  somewhat  southeast  in  order  to 
come  to  the  sea  through  the  midst  of  the  Decapolis.  On  the  Deca- 
polis see  ^122.  The  incident  of  vss.  32-37  probably  took  place  on 
Jesus'  return  into  the  vicinity  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ;  there  is  no  sugges- 
tion that  the  man  was  a  gentile. 

Matthew  15:29-31,  which  corresponds  in  position  to  Mark  7:31-37, 
records  Jesus'  return  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  though  without  indicating  the 


BRIEF    STAY    BY    THE    SEA    OF    GALILEE  1 49 

route ;  and  in  place  of  the  healing  of  the  deaf  man  mentions  in  general  terms 
the  healing  of  a  multitude.  It  is  not  easy  to  account  for  the  variation  of  the 
two  accounts. 

^t8o.  Notes  on  §72,  Mark  8  : 1-9. — ^The  location  of  this  event,  so 
similar  to  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  (§66),  is  not  definitely  indi- 
cated further  than  that  it  was  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea  (Mark  8:10; 
Matt.  15  :  39).  The  motive  of  Jesus  (vs.  2)  is  the  same  as  on  the  other 
occasion ;  the  numerical  details  differ  somewhat. 

This  narrative  seems  to  prove  that  in  this  period  Jesus  was  again  fol- 
lowed, either  in  Galilee  or  across  the  sea,  by  multitudes  nearly  as  great  as 
the  one  which  had  flocked  to  him  before  the  crisis  at  Capernaum.  But  the 
similarity  of  this  narrative  to  that  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  can  but 
raise  the  question  whether  there  were  really  two  such  events.  In  favor  of  the 
view  that  there  were  two  is  the  difference  in  the  numbers,  and  the  fact  that 
both  Matthew  and  Mark  relate  both,  Mark  especially  distinguishing  the  two 
by  the  word  "again  "  in  vs.  i.  Yet  it  can  but  surprise  us  that  Jesus  should 
have  repeated  a  miracle,  the  consequences  of  which  when  first  performed  were 
so  embarrassing,  as  well  as  that  such  a  multitude  should  have  come  together 
to  him  after  the  break  between  himself  and  the  Galileans  which  followed  the 
first  event.  Nor  is  a  duplication  of  a  narrative  with  differences  of  detail  in 
itself  impossible  (see  *[  155).  Definite  answer  to  the  question  whether  these 
events  are  two  or  one  can  hardly  be  given. 

^181.  Notes  on  §73,  Mark  8  :  10-21. —  Vs.  10,  "Dalmanutha"  :  evi- 
dently a  city  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  but  not  yet  certainly 
located  ;  perhaps  most  probably  on  the  southeastern  shore.  Matthew 
has  "  Magadan,"  the  location  of  which  is  equally  unknown.  Vs.  11, 
*'  seeking  of  him  a  sign  from  heaven  "  :  neither  the  teachings  and  the 
character  of  Jesus,  nor  his  healing  or  other  miracles  appealed  to  the 
Pharisees.  It  was  the  first  of  these  that  drew  to  Jesus  his  first  and 
most  trusted  disciples  (cf.  ^68,  §24);  the  second  attracted  multitudes ; 
but  the  Pharisees  desired  some  wonderful  visible  portent  from  the 
heavens.  Such  a  demand  was  most  painful  to  Jesus,  and  he  never 
responded  to  it.  If  he  could  not  beget  faith  and  win  followers  by  the 
natural  impressson  of  his  life,  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  do  it  by 
signs  from  heaven  (cf.  Matt.  4  :  5-10;  Luke  16  :  31). 

Matt.  16:2,  3  adds,  according  to  some  manuscripts,  a  reproof  of  the^^ 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees  for  being  unable  to  read  the  signs  of  the  times, 
though  knowing  how  to  discern  the  face  of  the  sky.  They  have  probably 
been  brought  over  from  Luke  12  :  54-56,  though  they  fit  in  here  most  appro- 
priately. It  is  men's  duty,  Jesus  implies,  to  interpret  current  events,  to  read 
in  passing   history  God's  message  to  them  without   asking  for   portents  from 


150  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

heaven.  In  the  condition  of  the  Jewish  people  and  in  Jesus'  own  life  was  all 
the  evidence  they  needed.  It  is  an  evil  and  adulterous  (/ .  <?.,  untrue  to  God) 
generation  that  demands  signs  (vs.  4).  Matthew  also  adds  the  words  "  but 
the  sign  of  Jonah,"  this  whole  verse  being  closely  parallel  to  Matt.  12:39 
(Luke  1 1  :  29).     On  the  meaning  of  this  sign  see  T[  140. 

Vs.  15,  "the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  leaven  of  Herod" :  by 
leaven  Jesus  undoubtedly  means,  as  Matthew  says  in  16:12,  teaching, 
principles  taught  or  exemplified,  which,  like  yeast,  tended  to  transform 
men's  character  into  likeness  to  itself.  Luke  12:1  calls  the  leaven  of 
the  Pharisees  "  hypocrisy  ; "  but  here  Jesus  probably  has  especially  in 
mind  the  captiousness  which  they  manifested  in  demanding  a  sign 
when  they  already  possessed  evidence  enough.  This  spirit,  still 
unhappily  common,  blinds  the  eyes  and  hardens  the  heart.  The  leaven 
of  Herod  is  probably  worldly,  and  especially  political,  ambition.  Mat- 
thew has  (vs.  6)  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  not  distin- 
guishing the  two,  and  hence  referring  in  general  only  to  their  evil 
influence. 

^182.  Notes  on  §74,  Mark  8:22-26. —  Vs.  22,  "Bethsaida":  pre- 
sumably Bethsaida  Julias,  both  because  this  is  the  only  one  that  we  are 
sure  there  was,  and  because  in  the  next  section  we  find  Jesus  going 
toward  Caesarea  Philippi,  which  is  east  of  the  Jordan.  This  is  one  of 
the  two  miracles  recorded  by  Mark  only,  the  other  being  that  described 
in  7  :  32-37.  Both  occur  in  about  the  same  region  ;  in  both  Jesus 
takes  the  man  apart  from  the  people ;  in  both  he  makes  use  of  the 
spittle ;  in  both  he  forbids  the  report  of  the  incident.  Now  at  least, 
though  he  will  not  refuse  to  heal,  he  does  not  wish  attention  drawn  to 
him  as  a  healer.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Syrophoenician  woman's 
daughter,  compassion  led  him  to  overstep  the  limits  which  on  other 
grounds  he  set  for  himself.  And  the  fact  is  itself  doubly  significant. 
That  he  did  not  give  healing  the  first  place  shows  that  he  did  not 
regard  relief  of  suffering  as  the  highest  duty,  or  happiness,  in  the  sense 
of  comfort,  the  highest  good.  That,  having  chosen  another  work,  and 
chosen  wisely,  he  yet  broke  over  its  limits,  reminds  us  how  often  our 
chosen  task  must  be  left  that  we  may  perform  the  one  that  is  thrust 
upon  us. 


^183.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)*  Where  is 
Tyre  ?  Sidon  ?  Phoenicia  ?  (2)*  What  do  the  words  "Greek"  and 
"Syrophoenician"  in  Mark  7  :  26  and  "  Canaanitish  "  in  Matt,  i  5:22 
mean?    (3)*  What  w^as  the  purpose  of   Jesus  in  this  northern 


BRIEF    STAY    BY    THE    SEA    OF    GALILEE  I5I 

journey?  (4)*  What  conditions  in  Galilee  led  him  to  make  it? 
(5)  Tell  the  story  of  the  Syrophoenician  woman's  daughter. 
(6)*  What  principle  respecting  his  personal  mission  did  Jesus 
enunciate  in  connection  with  this  event?  (7)*  On  what  ground 
did  he  make  an  exception  to  his  general  rule  ?  (8)*  What  gen- 
eral and  wide-sweeping  principles  are  suggested  in  this  conduct 
of  Jesus  ? 

(9)*  Trace  the  journey  recorded  in  Mark  7:  31.  (10)  What 
was  its  purpose  Z  (11)  What  happened  on  Jesus'  return  to  the 
region  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ? 

(12)  Narrate  the  story  of  the  feeding  of  the  four  thousand. 
(13)  Where  did  it  take  place?  (14)  What  reasons  for  and 
against  supposing  that  this  is  really  the  same  event  which  is  told 
in  Mark  6  :  30-46  ? 

(15)  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  Pharisees'  demand  for  a 
sign  from  heaven?  (16)*  Why  was  Jesus  pained  at  their 
request?  (17)*  Against  what  insidious  errors  did  Jesus  warn 
his  disciples  ?  (Mark  8  :  14  ff.)  ?  (18)  Express  this  warning  in 
terms  of  our  experience  of  today. 

(19)  Tell  the  story  of  the  blind  man  at  Bethsaida.  (20) 
What  principles,  instructive  for  us  also,  did  Jesus  illustrate  in  his 
conduct  in  this  and  similar  cases  ? 

^184.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xvii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  indicating  the  route  that  Jesus  followed,  and  bringing  out 
clearly  the  ends  which  he  had  in  view  at  this  time. 

1[  185.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Tyre  and  Sidon:  the  origin  of  the  cities;  the  ethnographic 
relations  of  the  inhabitants  ;  their  political  status  and  religious  condi- 
tion in  Jesus'  day. 

Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,  pp.  22-8  ;  and  Bible  Dictionaries. 

2.  Jesus'  thought  concerning  the  limitations  of  his  own  missioii. 

3.  Why  Jesus  healed  the  sick. 

DoDS,  "Jesus  as  Healer,"  Biblical  World,  March,  1900. 


152  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

JOURNEY    TO     C^SAREA     PHILIPPI  :      PETER'S    CONFESSION    AND     THE 

TRANSFIGURATION. 

§75.  Peter's  confession. 

Matt.  16  :  13-20.  Mark  8  :  27-30.  Luke  9  :  18-21. 

§  76.  Christ  foretells  his  death  and  resurrection. 

Matt.  16  :  21-28.  Mark  8  :3i — 9  :  i.  Luke  9  :  22-27. 

§  77.  The  transfiguration. 

Matt.  17:1-13.  Mark  9:2-13.  Luke  9:28-36. 

§  78.  The  demoniac  boy. 

Matt.  17  :  14-20.  Mark  9  :  14-29.  Luke  9 :  37-43^. 

§  79.  Christ  again  foretells  his  death  and  resurretion. 

Matt.  17  :  22,  23.  Mark  9  :  30-32.  Luke  9  :  43^^-45. 

^  186.  Notes  on  §75,  Mark  8  :  27-30. — Vs.  27,  **into  the  villages  of 
Caesarea  Philippi":  into  the  villages  adjacent  to  Caesarea  Philippi  and 
belonging  to  its  administration.  The  city  of  Caesarea  Philippi  lay  at  the 
foot  of  Mt.  Herraon  on  the  site  of  what  was  formerly  known  as  Panias, 
so  called  from  the  god  Pan  to  whom  was  consecrated  a  cave  near  by. 
From  the  side  of  the  hill  below  this  cave  flows  the  river  Banias,  one  of 
the  three  principal  affluents  of  the  Jordan.  The  city  had  been  recently 
rebuilt  by  Philip,  in  whose  tetrarchy  it  was,  and  renamed  Caesarea  in 
honor  of  Augustus;  the  name  Philippi  distinguished  it  from  Caesarea  on 
the  coast  in  the  tetrarchy  of  Antipas.  It  lay  1,050  feet  above  sea  level, 
while  Hermon  towered  more  than  8,000  feet  above  it.  The  journey 
from  the  Sea  of  Galilee  was  about  twenty-five  miles  long,  and  involved 
an  ascent  of  about  1,700  feet.  It  led  through  territory  predominantly 
gentile  in  population.  Like  the  preceding  northern  journey,  it  was 
evidently  for  retirement,  not  for  preaching.  "  Who  do  men  say  that  I 
am  ?"  This  is  the  first  instance  recorded  in  the  gospels  in  which  Jesus 
discussed  with  his  disciples  the  matter  of  his  names  and  titles.  They 
had  expressed  at  the  outset  their  enthusiastic  impression  of  hismessiah- 
ship  (^67,  68);  they  had  overheard,  if  not  taken  part  in,  the  discussions 
among  the  people  concerning  Jesus;  but  he,  though  himself  fully  con- 
vinced, at  least  from  his  baptism,  of  his  own  messiahship,  had  gone 
about  his  work  of  teaching  and  healing,  apparently  without  formally 
discussing  with  the  disciples  or  the  people  the  question  who  he  was. 
Now  the  time  has  come  for  an  understanding  with  them  on  the  question. 
Vs.  28,  "and  they  told  him  saying,  John  the  Baptist":  cf.  Mark  6  :  14. 
The  existence  of  this  opinion  suggests  how  little  Jesus  had  been  known 
while  John  was  still  alive  and  at  work.     "  Elijah":  cf.  Mai.  4:5;  John 


PETERS    CONFESSION    AND    THE    TRANSFIGURATION  1 53 

I  :2i,  and  ^65.  *' One  of  the  prophets":  /.  e.,  probably  one  of  the 
line  of  prophets  (cf.  Mark  6 :  15).  In  Luke,  both  here  {9  :  19)  and  in 
9  :  8,  this  opinion  is  given  in  the  form  that  "one  of  the  old  prophets  is 
risen  again,"  and  Matthew  mentions  Jeremiah  especially  as  one  of 
whom  some  spoke.  Vs.  29,  "Peter  answereth  and  saith  unto  him,  Thou 
art  the  Christ."    In  words  the  confession  affirms  just  what  Andrew  said 


SOURCE  OF  THE  JORDAN  AT  BANIAS  (C/ESAREA  PHIUPPI) 

to  Peter  when  he  first  met  Jesus  (John  i  :  41).  But  it  is  by  no  means 
a  mere  echo  of  that  former  statement.  That  was  the  enthusiastic 
expression  of  an  impression  based  upon  a  few  hours  with  Jesus,  and 
could  hardly  have  meant  anything  other  than  that  Jesus  would  turn 
out  to  be  the  Messiah  they  were  looking  for.  This,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  a  deliberate  assertion  made  after  months  of  living  and  working  with 
Jesus,  which  had  deepened  their  knowledge  of  him  and  strengthened 
their  love  for  him,  despite  the  fact  that  he  had  not  followed  the  career 
which  they  looked  for  in  the  Messiah.  That  they  now  reaffirm  their 
first  confession  shows  that  their  faith  in  Jesus  personally  is  stronger 
than  their  devotion  to  their  own  conception  of  the  Messiah's  career. 
The  core  of  their  faith,  that  which  remained  unchanged  and  gave  it 
moral   significance,  was  the  attraction   of  Jesus'  personality  for  them. 


154  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

which  held  them  steadfastly  to  him  while  he  lived  a  life  so  very  differ- 
ent from  their  conception  of  what  the  career  of  the  Messiah  was  to  be. 
(  Cf.  Bruce  on  Matt.  16:22.)  That  they  were  still  far  from  fully  appre- 
hending and  accepting  Jesus'  conception  of  messiahship  the  next  sec- 
tion shows.  Vs.  30,  "  and  he  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no 
man  of  him."  Neither  the  people  at  large  nor  the  out-and-out  oppo- 
nents of  Jesus,  who  held  unchanged  their  theories  of  what  the  Messiah 
should  be  (^  50)  and  lacked  the  moral  sympathy  with  Jesus  which 
bound  the  Twelve  to  him,  nor  even  the  outer  circle  of  true  disciples, 
who  had  passed  through  no  such  experience  of  intimate  acquaintance 
with  Jesus  as  these  twelve  had  had,  were  yet  prepared  for  an  announce- 
ment of  Jesus'  messiahship;  they  would  all  have  interpreted  it  accord- 
ing to  their  own  conception  of  messiahship,  and  would  have  still 
further  endeavored  to  commit  Jesus  to  a  policy  of  revolution. 

^[187.  Notes  on  §75,  Matt.  16:13-20. — Vs.  16,  "the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God" :  probably  an  expansion  of  the  briefer  confes- 
sion as  given  in  Mark,  "the  Christ."  Luke,  probably  under  the  same 
impulse  to  make  it  fuller  and  more  impressive,  says  "the  Christ  of 
God."  The  meaning  remains  substantially  the  same.  On  the  expres- 
sion "Son  of  the  living  God"  see  Tf  20.  Vss.  17-19  are  peculiar  to 
Matthew.  Vs.  17,  "for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee "  this  confession  of  Peter  is  no  mere  echo  of  popular  opinion, 
nor  any  doctrine  taught  him  of  men,  but  a  revelation  from  God,  a 
teaching  of  the  Father,  or,  in  post-Pentecostal  language,  of  the  spirit 
(cf.  I  Cor.  2  :  7-12).  Vs.  18,  "thou  art  Peter  \Peiros\  and  upon  this 
rock  \^petra\  I  will  build  my  church  "  :  If  Jesus  spoke  in  Aramaic,  he 
doubtless  said  Cephas  in  both  cases  {cf.  John  1  :  42),  and  no  stress  is  to 
be  laid  on  the  difference  between  Petros  and  petra.  The  strength  of 
his  conviction  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah  makes  Simon  a  rock,  and  it  is 
on  him  as  possessing  such  a  conviction  that  Jesus  will  build  his  church. 
The  statement  pertains  primarily  to  Peter  personally,  but  by  implication 
to  all  of  like  faith  and  firmness  of  conviction.  The  expression  "build 
my  church"  refers  to  the  establishment  and  development  of  that  com- 
munity in  which  his  kingdom  {cf.  vs.  19)  is  to  find  visible  and  organ- 
ized expression.  It  is  here  represented  under  the  figure  of  a  building, 
of  which  Peter  is  to  be  a  foundation-stone,  and  into  which  others  are 
to  be  built  till  the  structure  is  complete.  "And  the  gates  of  Hades 
shall  not  prevail  against  it":  it  shall  never  be  destroyed.  Hades  is 
the  world  of  death,  and  its  gates  open  to  receive  and  hold  fast  the  dead. 
This  they  shall  never  do  for  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.    It  shall  never 


Peter's  confession  and  the  transfiguration  155 

be  overthrown.  Vs.  19,  "  and  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven":  language,  like  that  of  the  whole  passage,  highly- 
figurative.  The  kingdom  like  the  church  is  conceived  of  under  the  figure 
of  a  building;  only  now  Peter  is  represented,  not  as  a  foundation-stone, 
but  as  a  porter,  or  steward.  He  can  admit  men  to  the  kingdom,  or 
exclude  them ;  the  only  interpretation  of  which,  consistent  with  the 
history  of  the  apostolic  age,  is  that  upon  him  will  rest  a  great  respon- 
sibility in  the  announcement  of  the  terms  of  the  gospel,  the  conditions 
of  membership  in  Christ's  kingdom.  "And  whatsoever  thou  shalt 
bind  on  earth,"  etg.,  "binding  and  loosing"  are  familiar  Jewish 
expressions  for  requiring  and  forbidding.  Jesus  gave  to  Peter  and 
to  his  apostles  in  general  (see  Matt.  18:18)  a  responsibility  of  lead- 
ership in  the  church,  which  carried  with  it  the  duty  of  others  to  accept 
and  follow  their  decisions.  This  is  but  an  example  of  a  general  law. 
Some  men  are  born  to  be  leaders  and  some  to  be  followers  as  surely 
as  some  are  born  children  of  others  and  subject  to  their  paren- 
tal authority ;  and  their  respective  responsibilities  in  the  sight  of  God 
are  affected  by  this  fact.  The  mass  of  men  must  always  follow  their 
leaders,  even  if  these  leaders  lead  wrongly.  Even  of  the  scribes 
Jesus  said :  "They  sit  in  Moses' seat ;  all  things  whatsoever  they  bid 
you,  these  do  and  observe."  The  apostles  were  to  be  the  scribes  of  the 
new  church. 

Remark:  In  the  above  notes  on  Matt.  16:  18,  19,  "church"  and  "king- 
dom of  heaven  "  are  treated  as  representing  substantially  the  same  idea,  and 
this  seems  required  by  the  context.  Generally  speaking,  the  difference  between 
the  two  terms  is  this :  the  kingdom  (the  term  which  Jesus  usually  employs, 
"church"  occuring  only  here  and  in  Matt  18  :  17)  represents  that  whole  order 
of  things,  above  and  including  and  permeating  all  organizations,  which  Jesus 
came  to  establish.  It  takes  in  all  sides  of  life,  and  finds  expression,  not  in  one 
organization,  but  in  every  legitimate  human  institution.  The  church  (the  term 
which  fills  in  Acts  and  the  epistles  the  place  of  prominence  that  the  kingdom 
has  in  the  gospels)  is  first  that  organization  in  which  the  kingdom  originally 
found  organic  expression,  and  then  the  whole  community  of  believers  through- 
out the  world.  In  this  largest  sense  the  membership  of  the  church  and  of  the 
kingdom  is  on  earth  the  same.  But  even  thus  the  term  "  church,"  from  its  use 
to  denote  a  definite  organization,  which  exists  alongside  of  other  organizations 
and  stands  especially  for  the  distinctly  religious  side  of  life,  retain  an  empha- 
sis on  this  phase  of  life  and  lacks  that  broad  inclusion  of  all  the  interests  and 
aspects  of  life  which  is  characteristic  of  the  conception  of  the  kingdom. 

^  1 88.  Notes  on  §  76,  Mark  8:31  —  9:1. —  Vs.  3 1 ,  "  And  he  began  to 
teach  them  that  the  Son  of  man  must  suffer  many  things  ":  immediately 


156  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

upon  his  disciples'  clear  and  measurably  intelligent  recognition  of 
Jesus'  messiahship,  Jesus  begins  'to  teach  them  that  he  must  suffer. 
Having  grasped  the  one  truth,  they  must  begin  to  learn  the  other. 
"  And  be  rejected  by  the  elders,  and  the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes, 
and  be  killed"  :  it  is  now  at  least  entirely  clear  to  Jesus  that  there  is 
no  hope  of  the  nation  accepting  him,  and  that  the  accomplishment  of 
his  mission  must  be,  not  only  through  suffering,  but  through  death. 
And  this  the  disciples,  too,  must  learn.  Compare  the  intimation  of 
this  in  John  2:19;  Mark  2  :  20,  But  this  is  the  first  clear  statement 
of  it.  "  And  after  three  days  rise  again  "  :  Just  as  clear  as  it  is  to  Jesus 
that  he  must  die,  so  is  it  also  that  death  cannot  triumph  over  him. 
God  can  neither  forsake  his  Son,  nor  cut  him  off  from  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  work  in  and  for  the  kingdom  {cf.  Matt.  16  :  18).  Death, 
necessary  and  inevitable,  involves  nevertheless  only  a  brief  interrujj- 
tion  of  his  work.  Vs.  32,  "  Peter  took  him,  and  began  to  rebuke 
him"  {cf.  Matt.  16:  22):  that  Peter  should  venture  to  reprove  Jesus  is 
surprising,  but  not  that  he  found  it  difficult  to  accept  Jesus'  announce- 
ment of  his  death.  Affection  for  Jesus  and  his  just-confessed  faith  in 
Jesus'  messiahship  both  make  such  acceptance  difficult.  The  Jews  of 
Jesus'  day  believed,  not  in  a  suffering,  but  in  a  triumphant  Messiah, 
and  least  of  all  in  one  whom  his  own  nation  should  reject.  To 
Peter,  sharing  still  the  ideas  of  his  people,  so  far  from  rejection  and 
death  being  involved  in  messiahship,  messiahship  excluded  them.  Cf. 
John  12:34;  Luke  24:20,  21,  26.  Vs.  33,  **  Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan  "  :  this  suggestion  of  Peter  is  to  Jesus  a  temptation ;  he  would 
gladly  believe  that  his  work  could  be  accomplished  without  rejection 
and  death.  But  he  puts  the  temptation  instantly  away.  Cf.  If  168. 
"Thou  mindest  not  the  things  of  God":  thinkest  not  the  thoughts 
of  God.  Vs.  34,  "  if  any  man  would  come  after  me"  :  be  my  follower, 
disciple.  "Let  him  deny  himself":  an  expression  of  far  deeper  sig- 
nificance than  our  ordinary  use  of  "self-denial"  would  suggest.  To 
deny  one's  self  is  to  cease  to  make  one's  own  interest  and  pleasure 
the  end  of  life,  and  one's  own  will  the  law  of  life,  and  in  place  of 
these  to  follow  Jesus  in  rnaking  God's  will  the  law  of  action  (John 
4 :  34 ;  5  :  30  ;  Mark  3  :  35),  and  the  well-being  of  men  the  end  of  life 
(Mark  10  :  42-45).  "And  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me  "  :  indicates 
the  extent  to  which  Jesus'  disciples  are  to  carry  their  self-devotion.  To 
take  up  the  cross  and  follow  him  is  to  be  ready,  as  he  was  (vs.  31),  to 
lay  down  life  itself  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  and  for  the  good 
of  men.     It  must  not  be  overlooked   that  these  words  (vs.   34,  first 


Peter's  confession  and  the  transfiguration         157 

part)  apply  not  only  to  the  Twelve,  but  to  all  who  would  follow  him. 
Jesus  lays  down  as  conditions  of  discipleship  the  acceptance  of  the  same 
principles  of  life  which  he  followed,  carried  to  the  same  extent.  In  this 
as  in  other  respects  he  was  the  Son  of  man,  the  type  of  his  kingdom. 
Vs.  35,  "for  whosoever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it":  the  word 
"  life  "  is  perhaps  suggested  by  the  reference  to  dying,  and  saving  life 
is  primarily  trying  to  escape  death.  But  with  physical  life  is  included 
all  those  powers,  opportunities,  and  possibilities  which  life  brings. 
One  who  tries  to  hoard  these,  hold  them  for  himself,  in  reality  wastes 
them,  throws  them* away;  escaping  death  he  wastes  and  loses  life. 
"And  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life":  whosoever  shall  unreservedly 
pour  out  his  life's  energies,  if  need  be,  to  the  extent  of  death.  "  For 
my  sake  and  the  gospels"  :  in  devotion  to  me,  for  the  promotion  of 
the  ends  for  which  I  gave  my  life,  and  for  the  advancement  of  the 
gospel,  that  is,  for  the  salvation  of  men;  this  is  a  most  important 
qualification  ;  it  makes  all  possible  difference  for  what  ends  one  pours 
out  his  life  ;  not  all  losing  of  life  is  saving  it.  "  Shall  save  it"  :  not 
shall  escape  death,  but  shall,  making  the  highest  use  of  life's  energies 
and  power,  in  truth  preserve  it  from  waste  and  destruction.  There  is 
no  immediate  reference  to  length  of  life,  or  even  to  immortality;  the 
thought  of  Jesus  is  moving  on  a  higher  plane  than  this.  He  is  speak- 
ing, not  of  continued  existence,  but  of  the  true  use  to  be  made  of  this 
mysterious  life,  with  all  its  powers  and  possibilities,  with  which  each 
of  us  is  endowed.  But  that  he  who  has  made  the  best  use  of  life 
should  thereby  cease  to  exist  is  itself  almost  unthinkable.  Vs.  36, 
'*  For  what  doth  it  profit  a  man  to  gain  the  whole  world  and  forfeit 
his  life  ?  "  In  this  verse  Jesus  appeals  to  legitimate  self-interest,  to  the 
noble  desire  to  make  the  highest  use  of  oneself,  to  realize  one's  own 
highest  possibilities.  "  Life"  is  just  exactly  that  self;  nothing  that  a 
man  can  get  can  compensate  for  the  destruction  of  this  self,  the  waste 
of  one's  life-energies,  the  corruption  of  one's  own  nature.  Vs.  37, 
**  for  what  should  a  man  give  "  ;  rather,  what  shall  he  give,  what  is 
there  that  he  can  give  ?  When  once  life  is  wasted,  there  is  nothing 
with  which,  though  a  man  possess  the  world,  it  can  be  brought  back ; 
and  without  it  everything  else  is  worthless. 

Vs.  38,  "For  whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of  my  words"  : 
goes  back  to  the  thought  of  giving  up  life  for  Jesus'  sake  (vs.  35),  and 
the  temptation,  which  this  suggests,  to  forsake  him  rather  than  risk 
one's  life.  "  When  he  corneth  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy 
angels":  another  reflection  of  Jesus'  confident  faith  that  his  death  was 


158  '  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

not  defeat  either  for  himself  or  for  the  kingdom ;  he  would  return  in 
triumph  {cf.  Mark  13  :  26,  27),  and  then  the  unprofitableness  of  saving 
one's  life  by  denying  Christ  will  appear  as  it  does  not  now.  The  words 
added  in  Matthew,  "  and  then  shall  he  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds  "(16:  2  7),  emphasize  the  element  of  judgment  in  this  future 
coming.  Compare  Matt.  3:12.  Chap.  9,  vs.  i,  "shall  in  no  wise 
taste  of  death,  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God  come  with  power": 
a  distinct  prediction  that  in  the  life-time  of  some  then  present  the 
kingdom  of  God  should  come.  The  reference  is  probably  to  the  com- 
ing of  the  kingdom  in  the  conversion  of  multitudes  to  faith  in  him, 
such  as  actually  took  place  in  the  apostolic  age.  Matthew's  expression, 
"till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom,"  shows  that  in 
the  thought  of  the  early  church,  if  not  also  in  the  language  of  Jesus,  the 
coming  of  the  kingdom  and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  were  the 
same  thing. 

To  what  event  did  Jesus  refer  when  he  predicted  his  "  second  coming"  in 
such  passages  as  the  above  ?  In  general,  it  is  evident,  he  meant  his  return 
after  death  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  kingdom  to  its  consummation. 
This  involved  [a)  the  conversion  of  multitudes  to  faith  in  him,  and  the  per- 
meation of  human  society  by  his  principles  and  spirit ;  (<^)  the  downfall  of 
Judaism  as  the  special  representative  of  true  religion,  and  the  establishment 
of  Christianity  in  its  place  ;  {c)  the  judgment  of  "  every  man  according  to  his 
deeds."  Did  it  also  involve  his  personal  visible  return  ?  His  words  are  gen- 
erally so  interpreted,  and  this  seems  at  first  their  obvious  meaning.  Yet  it  is 
doubtful  whether  all  the  language  which  is  so  interpreted  is  not  better  under- 
stood as  oriental  imagery  describing  the  accompaniments  of  his  coming  in 
Ihe  first  two  senses,  as  in  Dan.  7:13-27  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  is 
described  as  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  It  is  in  these  senses  that  he 
predicted  his  coming  within  the  generation  then  living,  and  it  is  in  connection 
with  such  announcement  of  his  speedy  return  that  the  language  suggestive 
of  visible  return  usually  occurs.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  as  a  most 
notable  accompaniment  of  the  coming  in  the  second  sense,  and  as  marking  a 
stage  in  the  triumph  of  the  kingdom,  may  itself  be  regarded  as  a  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man.  The  personal  judgment  of  individuals  would  then  be  pre- 
sumably an  oft-repeated  fact,  beginning  while  Jesus  was  still  on  earth  (John 
9 :  39),  more  manifest  in  his  coming  in  power  in  his  kingdom  (Mark  8:38; 
Matt.  16:27),  and  coming  sooner  or  later  in  every  man's  experience  (Luke 
12:40). 

\  189.  Notes  on  §  77,  Mark  9  :  2-13. — Vs.  2,  "after  six  days  ":  Luke's 
"  about  eight  days  "  also  means  a  week  ;  spent  perhaps  in  talking  over 
these  two  great  thoughts,  Jesus'  messiaship  and  his  suffering,  both  in 
a  sense  new  to  the  disciples,  and  to  them  irreconcilable.     "  Peter  and 


Peter's  confession  and  the  transfiguration 


159 


James  and  John  ":  cf.  Mark  5  :  37  5  U  :  33-  "  Into  a  high  mountain  ": 
We  naturally  think  of  Hermon,  towering  snow-capped  above  Caesarea 
Philippi.  Tabor  is  the  traditional  site,  but  probably  not  the 
true  one.  There  is  no  intimation  of  a  return  to  Galilee  after  Peter's 
confession  ;  and  the  top  of  Tabor  was  probably  fortified  at  this  time. 
"Transfigured  before  them":  changed  in  appearance;  how,  must  be 
gathered  from  the  context.     Matthew  adds,  "  his  face  did  shine  as  the 


MT.  HERMON,  THE  PROBABLE  SITE  OF  THE  TRANSFIGURATION 

sun."  Luke,  who  throughout  this  narrative  shows  the  use  of  other 
sources  than  Mark  alone,  adds  that  Jesus  went  to  the  mountain  to  pray, 
and  that  it  was  while  he  was  praying  that  this  transformation  of  his 
appearance  took  place.  Vs.  4,  "  Elijah  with  Moses  ....  talking  with 
Jesus":  Luke  adds  what  the  context  in  Mark  suggests,  that  they 
"  spake  of  his  decease  [departure]  which  he  was  about  to  accomplish  at 
Jerusalem  " —  language  which  presents  Jesus*  death,  not  as  a  fate  which 
he  could  not  escape,  but  as  an  achievement,  a  task,  which  he  was  volun- 
tarily to  accomplish.  Vs.  5,  "Peter  ansvvereth  and  saith":  Luke  men- 
tions that  the  disciples  were  borne  down  with  sleep,  but  having  waked 
(or  perhaps,  as  in  the  margin  of  R.  V.,  having  kept  awake)  saw  his  glory 
and  the  two  men  with  him,  and  that  Peter  spoke  the  words  following 


l60  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

as  Moses  and  Elijah  were  about  to  leave.  *'  Rabbi,  it  is  good  for  us," 
etc.:  Peter's  motive  is  evidently  to  prolong  the  delightful  experience, 
and  so  he  proposes  to  erect  booths  in  which  Jesus  and  his  heavenly 
visitors  can  lodge.  Vs.  7,  "a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  This  is  my  beloved 
Son  ;  hear  ye  him  ":  it  is  in  this  voice  that  the  experience  culminates. 
If  their  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  had  been  shocked  by  his  announce- 
ment of  his  death,  the  appearance  of  Moses  and  Elijah,  the  representa- 
tives of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  talking  with  their  master,  was 
calculated  to  restore  that  faith,  while  it  at  the  same  time  reaffirmed  the 
certainty  of  his  death;  but  more  convincing  still  in  both  directions  is 
the  heavenly  voice,  assuring  them  that  Jesus  is  the  Father's  beloved 
Son,  and  bidding  them  believe  whatever  he  may  tell  them.  Vs.  8, 
"saw  no  one  any  more  save  Jesus  only  ":  with  the  passing  of  the  voice 
the  vision  ended. 

In  endeavoring  to  form  a  conception  of  the  nature  of  this  experience, 
three  things  must  be  distinguished :  the  causes  external  to  the  disciples 
which  produced  the  impressions  which  they  received  ;  these  impressions  of 
sight  and  sound  —  that  which  they  saw  and  heard;  the  convictions  and  feel- 
ing which  these  impressions  begat  in  their  minds.  The  significance  of  the 
event  evidently  lies  in  the  last  of  these.  The  second  is  that  of  which  the 
narrative  expressly  speaks.  The  first  is  not  referred  to  in  the  narrative  — 
unless  we  force  it  in  by  an  over-literalism  of  interpretation  —  and  it  is 
beyond  our  power  definitely  to  comprehend.  Enough  that  by  this  experience 
God  graciously  confirmed  the  words  of  his  Son,  and  strengthened  the  faith  of 
the  disciples. 

Vs.  9,  "charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man,"  etc.:  it  is  still 
with  his  disciples  alone  that  Jesus  is  working ;  they  must  be  prepared 
for  his  death ;  on  the  foundation  of  their  faith,  strong  even  if  unintel- 
ligent, he  will  build  a  structure  of  instruction.  In  others  there  is  no 
such  foundation  to  build  on.  Vs.  11,  "Elijah":  the  seeing  of  Elijah 
on  the  mount  calls  up,  in  connection  with  the  thought  of  Jesus'  mes- 
siaship,  the  old  question  about  Elijah  preceding  the  Messiah.  Jesus 
interprets  the  prediction  (Mai.  4  :  5)  as  fulfilled  in  John  the  Baptist, 
and  points  out  also  the  Old  Testament  passages  which  look  toward  his 
own  rejection  and  sufferings.  Vs.  12,  "restoreth  all  things"  :  the  use 
of  such  a  phrase  as  this  to  describe  the  work  of  John  should  keep  us 
from  over-literalism  in  interpreting  biblical  language. 

^  190.  Notes  on  § 78,  Mark 9  :  14-29. — Vs.  17,  "a  dumb  spirit "  :  /.  <?., 
one  that  rendered  the  boy  dumb.  Matt.  17:15  describes  the  boy 
as  epileptic,  and  the  symptoms  as  given  in  Mark  corresponds  with  this. 
Vs.  19,  "  O  faithless  generation  "  :  addressed  to  the  disciples,  reproving 


Peter's  confession  and  the  transfiguration  i6i 

them  for  their  lack  of  faith,  possession  of  which  would  have  enabled 
them  to  cure  the  boy.  So  at  least  Matthew  understands  the  matter 
(vss.  19,  20).  Vs.  23,  "if  thou  canst"  :  the  words  of  the  man  reprov- 
ingly repeated  by  Jesus,  implying  that  the  difficulty  is  not  in  his  own 
ability,  but  in  the  man's  faith.  Vs.  29,  "this  kind  can  come  out  by 
nothing  save  by  prayer  "  ;  Matthew  has  it,  "  Because  of  your  little  faith," 
to  which  is  added  a  saying  concerning  the  power  of  faith  much  like 
Mark  11  :  23,  where  it  is  associated  with  prayer,  and  Luke  17:6.  The 
more  difficult  the  task,  the  more  necessary  is  prayer,  by  which  we  enter 
into  fellowship  witK  God  and  acquire  his  power. 

^191.  Notes  on  §  79,  Mark  9  :  30-32. — Vs.  30,  "  passed  through  Gali- 
lee": made  a  journey  from  the  mountain  of  transfiguration  to  some 
point  in  Galilee,  probably  Capernaum  (vs.  33).  "Would  not  that  any 
man  should  know  it "  :  still  intent,  not  on  evangelization,  but  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Twelve.  Vs.  31,  "the  Son  of  man  is  delivered  up":  /.  ^., 
is  to  be.     The  frequent  theme  of  his  teaching  in  these  days. 


^192.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  Where  is 
Caesarea  Philippi  ?  What  is  its  distance  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ? 
(2)*  What  was  the  purpose  of  Jesus'  journey  into  this  region? 
(3)*  What  questions  did  Jesus  ask  his  disciples  on  the  way,  and 
what  were  their  answers?  (4)*  In  what  respect  was  Peter's 
confession  at  this  time  like  Andrew's  confession  in  John  i  141, 
and  in  what  respects  was  it  different  ?  (5)*  What  was  the  cen- 
tral and  permanent  element  in  the  disciples'  faith  in  Jesus  ? 
(6)  What  answer  of  Jesus  to  Peter  is  recorded  by  Matthew? 
Explain  its  meaning. 

(7)*  On  what  subject  did  Jesus  begin  immediately  after  this 
to  instruct  his  disciples?  (8)  What  intimations  of  his  death 
have  we  already  met?  (9)*  Why  was  Peter  unable  to  accept 
Jesus'  statement  on  this  matter?  (10)  How  did  Peter's  pro- 
test affect  Jesus  ?  (11)*  What  great  principle  respecting  dis- 
cipleship  did  Jesus  set  forth  at  this  time  ?  Explain  the  meaning 
of  his  words  (Mark  8:34).  (n)*  By  what  arguments  did  he 
enforce  it  (Mark  8  :  35-38)?  Explain  these  verses,  one  by  one. 
(12)  Do  these  principles  and  instructions  apply  to  the  Twelve 
only,  or  to  all  followers  of  Jesus  in  all  times?     (13)  What  kind 


l62  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

of  a  life  would  the  principle  of  vs.  34  require  us  to  live  today? 
In  few  passages  of  the  gospel  have  we  clearer  teaching  concern- 
ing the  principles  of  a  Christian  life.  These  words  of  Jesus 
should  be  carefully  studied  and  thoughtfully  pondered.  (14) 
Tell  the  story  of  the  transfiguration.  (15)*  What  was  this 
experience  intended  to  do  for  the  disciples  ?  (  16)  Is  it  to  be  sup- 
posed that  it  had  any  value  for  Jesus  himself?  If  so,  what? 
(17)  Why  did  Jesus  bid  them  tell  no  man  of  this  event?  (18) 
Explain  the  question  of  the  disciples  about  Elijah,  and  Jesus' 
answer. 

(19)  Tell  the  story  of  the  epileptic  boy.  (20)  What  lesson 
did  Jesus  teach  the  boy's  father?  (21)*  Of  what  lesson  to  the 
disciples  did  he  make  this  event  the  occasion  ?  Suggest  modern 
applications  of  it. 

(22)  On  what  subject  did  Jesus  continue  to  teach  his  dis- 
ciples as  he  passed  through  Galilee  ? 

^193.  Constructive  Work. —  Write  chap,  xviii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  following  the  outline  indicated  by  the  sections,  and  taking 
pains  to  bring  out  very  clearly  the  significance  of  the  new  teaching  of 
Jesus  and  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples,  in  some  respects  also 
new. 

^194.   Supplementary  Topics  of  Study. 

I.  Csesarea  Philippi,  and  the  region  of  Mt.  Hermon. 

G.  A.  Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine;  MacGregor,  Rob  Roy  on 
the  Jordan,  and  other  works  on  geography. 

The  faith  of  Jesus'  disciples;  its  constant  element;  its  varying 
phases. 

Rhees,  The  Life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  §§  155-160. 

3.  The  conditions  of  discipleship  as  set  forth  by  Jesus,  and  their 
application  to  life  today. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TEACHINGS    CONCERNING    HUMILITY    AND  FORGIVENESS.      .^rO^ 

§80.  The  shekel  in  the  fish's  mouth.  ^y  ^ 

Matt.  17  :  24-27.  [Mark  9 :  33a.]  V-^ 

§81.  Discourses  on  humility  and  forgiveness. 

Matt.,  chap.  18.  Mark  9  : 33-50.  Luke  9  546-50. 


O.. 


TEACHINGS    CONCERNING    HUMILITY    AND    FORGIVENESS         1 63 

^  195.  Notes  on  §80,  Matt.  17  :  24-27. — Vs.  24,  "  Capernaum  ":  see 
^98.  "They  that  receive  the  half  shekel":  /.  <?.,  those  who  collected 
the  tax  of  about  30  cents  paid  by  every  Jew  above  the  age  of  twenty 
for  the  support  of  the  temple.  These  collectors  are  not  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  publicans  ;  the  latter  collected  money  for  the  govern- 
ment. "Came  to  Peter":  who  was  evidently  (vs.  25)  not  with  Jesus. 
Vs.  25,  "  He  saith  yea":  showing  that  Jesus  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
paying  the  tax.  But  Peter  spoke  without  appreciating  an  important 
matter  involved  in  his  answer,  viz.,  the  relation  of  Jesus  as  the  founder 
of  the  kingdom  of  Ood  to  Jewish  institutions.  This  Jesus  now  makes 
clear  (i)  by  the  questions  of  vs.  25,  and  (2)  by  the  concession  of  vs.  27. 
The  point  of  the  questions  evidently  is  that,  by  reason  of  his  unique 
relation  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  he  and  his  immediate  followers  are 
by  right  free  from  paying  the  tax.  Not  the  subjects  of  the  kingdom, 
but  the  household  of  the  king  are  free  from  taxes.  Vs.  27,  "  Lest  we 
cause  them  to  stumble":  /.  <?.,  hinder  the  Jews  from  entering  the  king- 
dom by  causing  them  to  think  of  us  as  opposed  to  the  temple  service. 
Jesus  here  illustrates  a  fixed  principle  of  all  reforms,  viz.,  the  avoidance 
of  actions  which  are  not  absolutely  essential  for  the  success  of  the  reform, 
and  which,  because  easily  misunderstood,  and  so  arousing  prejudice, 
would  make  it  more  difficult  for  others  to  join  in  the  good  movement. 
He  thereby  illustrates  in  himself  the  humility  which  in  the  next  chapter 
he  teaches  his  disciples.  Though  greater  than  the  temple,  he  pays  the 
temple  tax,  that  he  may  not  put  a  hindrance  in  the  way  of  others 
accepting  him.  Why  the  tax  was  not  paid  for  all  the  disciples  is  a 
matter  of  no  moment. 

The  coin  in  the  fish's  mouth  is  probably  either  an  oriental  expres- 
sion for  the  value  of  the  fish  caught,  or  a  modification  of  words  of 
Jesus  which  themselves  had  that  meaning.  That  a  coin  was  literally  so 
found  is  not  said,  and  such  a  miracle  would  be  quite  unlike  the  other 
miracles  of  Jesus. 

^ig6.  Notes  on  §81,  Mark  9:33-50. — Vss.  33-37.  Luke  states, 
what  Mark  implies,  that  the  occasion  of  the  words  of  Jesus  was  the 
selfish  discussion  among  the  Twelve  as  to  who  should  be  greatest,  i.  e., 
have  the  most  influential  and  honorable  position  in  the  kingdom  which 
they  believed  Jesus  would  inaugurate.  That  they  were  ashamed  of  it 
appears  in  vs.  34,  and  that  Jesus  judged  their  spirit  to  have  justified 
the  most  express  correction  appears  in  vs.  35.  "  If  any  man  would  be 
first ":  either  a  warning  that  he  who  (selfishly)  desires  the  first  place  will 
find  himself  in  reality  at  the  bottom,  or  more  probably  an  instruction 


1 64  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

that  if  one  desires  to  be  really  first  he  can  attain  this  only  by 
becoming  servant  of  all.  Jesus  was  often  obliged  to  correct  selfish 
ambition  in  his  immediate  followers.  See  Matt.  20  :  26,  27;  23  :  11; 
Mark  10  :  43,  44;  Luke  22  :  26.  Vs.  36,  "took  a  little  child  ":  a  type 
of  all  that  is  unaggressive  and  unimportant  in  society.  Vs.  37,  "in 
my  name":  The  motive  of  one's  act  gives  the  importance  to  the  per- 
son one  receives.  One  does  not  need  to  be  important  to  be  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  great  man.  The  humblest  child  could  serve  as  such  a 
representative  of  both  Jesus  and  God.  Hence  there  was  no  need  of 
the  disciples'  struggling  after  preeminence,  for  their  greatness  would 
never  lie  in  the  honors  and  leadership  they  wanted,  but  in  the  fact  that 
they  would  be  received  as  the  representatives  of  Jesus  and  God,  and 
this  honor  the  smallest  child  could  share  with  them. 

Vss.  38-41  are  of  the  nature  of  a  parenthesis  containing  an  inci- 
dent suggested  by  the  teaching  as  to  representing  Jesus  and  God. 
*' Master,  we  saw,"  etc.:  Evidently  the  work  of  Jesus  had  attracted 
wide  attention.  "In  thy  name":  Was  he  a  disciple  of  Jesus?  The 
Twelve  thought  not  and  so  rebuked  him.  "Forbid  him  not":  note 
the  catholicity  of  Jesus  as  well  as  his  confidence  in  humanity.  Vs.  40 
gives  the  opposite  hemisphere  of  the  truth  stated  in  Matt.  12  :  30 ;  but 
it  should  be  noticed  that  this  is  said  of  one  who  actually  engaged  in 
benefiting  others,  not  of  one  who  is  simply  inactive  in  opposition.  Vs. 
41;  compare  Matt.  10  :  42. 

Vs.  42  is  closely  connected  in  thought  with  vs.  37.  "  Little  ones": 
i.  e.,  children.  "  Cause  to  stumble  "  :  by  intentionally  making  the  Chris- 
tian life  more  difficult  to  live.  "  It  were  better  "  :  indicating  the  dread- 
fulness  of  the  sin  of  inducing  a  good  man  to  do  evil.  Vs.  43  (see  also 
vss.  45  and  47,  and  cf.  Matt.  5  :  29,  30)  sets  forth  the  importance  of 
choosing  the  highest  good  in  life.  It  is  better  to  lose  a  very  valuable 
member  of  one's  body  than  to  let  it  cause  one  to  do  evil.  Jesus  is,  of 
course,  speaking  thus  strongly,  not  to  establish  a  rule  in  life  to  be  literally 
obeyed,  but  to  convince  people  of  the  supreme  worth  of  purity  and 
godliness.  "The  unquenchable  fire"  :  a  figure  to  express  the  fierceness 
and  the  continuance  of  the  spiritual  suffering  of  the  one  who  chooses 
to  cherish  that  which  makes  to  his  moral  hurt.  Vs.  48,  "Their 
worm,"  etc.:  another  figure  of  suffering.  Vss.  49,  50.  Salt  in  these 
verses  is  the  symbol  of  self-sacrifice  which  every  disciple  of  Jesus  must 
be  ready  to  practice,  and  which  is  indispensable  if  men  are  to  live 
together  helpfully,  and  especially  if  they  are  to  compose  the  kingdom 
of  God.     Not  the  selfish  ambition  of  vs.  34,  but  love  that  serves  and  is 


TEACHINGS    CONCERNING    HUMILITY    AND    FORGIVENESS         1 65 

ready  to  let  another  surpass  one  if  necessary,  is  the  preserver  of  true 
social  life.     In  a  society  thus  "salted  "  there  will  be  peace  (vs.  50). 

^197.  Notes  on  §  81,  Matt.  i8  :  1-35. — Vss.  1-5  are  not  quite  parallel 
to  Mark  9 :  33-37,  but  emphasize  the  duty  of  one's  possessing  the 
child-nature,  especially  (vs.  4)  the  child's  lack  of  selfish  ambition  to  be 
greater  than  others.  Cf.  Mark  10:  15;  Luke  18:  17,  Vs.  io,*'Their 
angels,"  etc.:  an  instance  in  which  Jesus  employs  the  current  thought 
and  expressions  of  his  day  to  enforce  a  deep  spiritual  truth,  i,  e., 
that  the  pure  in  heart  and  humble  in  spirit  are  especially  near  to 
God. 

Vs.  12  introduces  a  collection  of  sayings  either  not  contained  in 
the  other  gospels  or  introduced  under  different  circumstances.  In 
grouping  them,  the  first  gospel  characteristically  brings  teachings  of 
mercy  and  tenderness  into  immediate  connection  and  contact  with 
those  full  of  severity.  The  point  of  tlie-4)firable  of  th^Jost  sheep  is  the 
joy^^it&^ owner  over  the  recovery  of  that  which  might  seem  to  be 
possessed  of  comparatively  little  or  almost  no  value.  So  in  God's  eyes 
the  "little  one,"  i.  <?.,  the  humblest  person  who  has  come  to  him  as  a 
son,  is  received  with  joy.  Anything  else  would  not  be  in  accord  with 
a  father's  heart  (vs.  14).  Vs.  15.  Here  begins  a  section  dealing  with 
the  exercise  of  the  Christian  spirit  of  forgiveness.  There  is  first 
described  the  method  to  be  followed ;  then  the  extent  to  which  one 
should  forgive  is  stated ;  and  finally  the  duty  to  forgive  is  illustrated 
by  a  parable.  "Brother"  :  the  reference  is  primarily  to  a  member  of 
the  kingdom,  but  one  is  to  be  just  as  forgiving  to  one's  enemies  (Matt. 
5  :  45).  Vs.  17,  "the  church  "  :  the  entire  body  of  the  brethern  as  dis- 
tinct from  the  two  or  three  of  vs.  16.  "Let  him  be  unto  thee  as  the 
gentile  and  the  publican  "  :  /.  e.,  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him  ;  the 
understanding  being,  of  course,  that,  if  he  repent  and  attempt  a  recon- 
ciliation, one  should  immediately  restore  him  to  one's  friendship.  This 
saying  does  not  refer  to  ecclesiastical  excommunication,  but  to  the 
severing  of  personal  relations  with  one  who  is  obstinately  irreconcil- 
able. Vs.  18,  see  Matt.  16  :  19  and  T[  187.  Vss.  19,  20  emphasize  the 
power  of  Christian  harmony.  Two  good  men  are  more  likely  to  ask 
the  right  things  after  discussion  has  led  to  agreement ;  and  especially 
when  they  are  directed  by  the  spirit  of  Jesus  (vs.  20).  These  verses  are 
not  to  be  understood  as  teaching  that  God  has  given  up  the  right 
of  decision  as  to  what  men  need.  The  thing  asked  must  be  in  accord 
with  his  will  far  more  than  in  accord  with  that  of  the  person  or  persons 
offering  the  prayer. 


i66 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


Vss.  21,  2  2.  The  number  suggested  by  Peter  seemed  to  him  large, 
for  the  rabbis  seem  to  have  set  three  as  the  limit ;  but  the  reply  of 
Jesus  practically  removes  all  limit  to  forgiveness.  And  when  could  a 
loving  heart  refuse  to  forgive?  Vs.  23,  "Therefore  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  likened,"  etc.:  /.  <f.,  that  is  characteristic  of  the  kingdom  which 
is  also  characteristic  of  the  king  in  the  parable.  "Therefore"  con- 
nects the  parable  with  the  insistence  upon  a  readiness  to  forgive.  On 
the  interpretation  of  parables  see  T[  146.  The  present  instance 
belongs  to  the  class  of  those  which  enforce  a  duty  rather  than  describe 
the  character  and  progress  of  the  kingdom  as  an  institution.  (Cf.  vs. 
35.)  That  being  the  case,  it  is  not  necessary  to  interpret  each  detail, 
but  rather  to  discover  the  one  important  analogy.  This  is  found  in 
the  fact  that  the  king  made  his  forgiveness  of  his  debtor  dependent 
upon  the  latter's  forgiveness  of  the  man  who  owed  him.  The  teaching, 
therefore,  is  obvious  (vs.  35):  a  forgiving  spirit  is  an  indispensable 
prerequisite  for  one's  being  forgiven  by  God.  Vs.  24,  "  ten  thousand 
talents"  :  at  the  least  calculation,  twelve  million  dollars.  And  yet  the 
debtor  was  freely  forgiven  —  until  he  showed  a  want  of  a  similar  gen- 
erosity in  refusing  to  grant  an  extension  of  time  to  a  wretch  who  owed 


JAFFA   GATE 


TEACHINGS    CONCERNING    HUMILITY    AND    FORGIVENESS  1 67 

him  about  twelve  dollars  (vs.  28).  Vs.  34,  "tormentors":  is  only  a 
piece  of  literary  detail.  The  action  of  the  king  is  in  accordance  with 
the  natural  sense  of  justice,  but  it  is  none  the  less  an  act  of  tyranny 
and  cannot  exegetically  be  referred  to  God. 


f  198.  Questions. —  (i)*  What  was  the  "half  shekel"?  (2)* 
Had  Jesus  been  opposed  to  the  temple  and  its  worship?  (3) 
What  is  the  force  of  Jesus'  argument?  (4)*  What  position  as 
regards  the  temple  does  he  by  implication  assume?  (5)  As  a 
reformer,  did  Jesus  always  begin  with  the  destruction  of  abuses? 

(5)*  What  evil  was  there  in  the  ambition  of  the  disciples  to 
be  first  in  the  kingdom  of  God?  (6)*  What  did  Jesus  say  that 
gave  the  little  child  importance?  (7)*  What  does  Jesus  teach  is 
an  evidence  that  a  man  is  friendly  to  him?  (8)*  By  what  other 
saying  of  his  does  this  need  to  be  supplemented?  (9)*  What  is 
meant  by  causing  one  "to  stumble"?  (lo)*  In  what  language 
does  Jesus  set  forth  the  need  of  giving  up  hindrances  to  the 
highest  life?  (11)  Are  they  to  be  taken  literally  as  a  rule  for 
life?  If  not,  why  not?  (12)*  What  figures  does  Jesus  use  to 
describe  the  suffering  produced  by  sin?  (13)  Is  the  suffering 
any  less  real  because  his  language  is  figurative?  (14)*  What  is 
meant  by  "having  salt  in  one's  self"? 

(15)*  How  does  Jesus  teach  we  should  treat  a  brother  who 
has  done  us  harm?  (16)*  How  far  should  one  go  in  forgiving 
one  who  wishes  forgiveness?  (17)  Tell  the  story  by  which 
Jesus  illustrated  the  duty  of  our  possessing  a  forgiving  spirit. 
(18)*  What  is  meant  by  the  power  to  bind  and  loose? 

^  199.  Constructive  Work. —  The  student  should  write  chap,  xix 
for  his  "  Life  of  Christ,"  stating  accurately  the  teaching  of  Jesus : 

1.  Upon  selfish  ambition. 

2.  Upon  forgiveness. 

^  200.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Instances  in  which  Jesus  has  used  unjustifiable  acts  in  ordinary 
life  to  illustrate  his  teachings. 

2.  How  did  Jesus  in  his  own  life  illustrate  his  teaching  as  to  for- 
giveness ? 

3.  What  sort  of  ambition  would  Jesus  approve? 


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CHAPTER  XX. 

DISCOURSES    AT    THE    FEAST    OF    TABERNACLES. 

§  82.  Christ  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  John  7  : 1-52. 

[§  83.  The  woman  taken  in  adultery.  John  7  :53— 8  :  11.] 

§  84.  Discourse  on  the  light  of  the  world.  John  8  :  12-30. 

§  85.  Discourse  dn  spiritual  freedom.  John  8  :  31-59. 

^201.  Notes  on  §82,  John  7:1-52. — Vs.  i,  "  after  these  things": 
see  •^  206.  Probably  the  reference  is  to  teachings  given  at  the  time  of 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  /.  e.,  after  the  crisis  in  Galilee  and  the  deter- 
mination of  the  Pharisees  to  put  Jesus  out  of  the  way.  That  he  should 
have' been  in  danger  in  Judea  also  (vs.  i)  indicates  how  widespread 
was  the  hostility  to  him.  Vs.  2,  *'  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  "  :  See  \  202. 
This  would  make  the  time  of  this  teaching  about  October.  Vs.  3, 
"his  brethren":  the  members  of  his  own  family.  See  If  159.  We 
have  no  special  information  as  to  why  they  did  not  believe  in  him  at 
this  time.  Later  they  were  among  his  disciples  (Gal.  1:19;  i  Cor. 
9:5).  Vs.  6,  "my  time  ....  your  time":  Irv  this  contrast  Jesus 
clearly  shows  how  different  an  estimate  he  put  upon  his  own  and  his 
brothers'  work  ;  and,  in  vs.  7,  upon  their  character  and  his.  Vs.  8, 
"I  go  not  up"  :  i.  <?.,  not  at  once  and  for  the  reason  you  suggest  {cf. 
vs.  10).  "My  time  is  not  fulfilled":  There  still  remained  so  much 
for  Jesus  to  do  in  establishing  the  kingdom  of  God,  especially,  per- 
haps, in  the  training  of  his  disciples,  that  he  felt  that  the  time  for 
exposing  himself  to  danger  of  death  had  not  arrived.  Evidently  he 
regarded  his  life  as  having  a  definite  task.  Vs.  10,  "not  publicly":  /.  e.^ 
avoiding  such  crowds  and  popular  excitement  as  would  certainly  have 
attended  a  journey  undertaken  for  and  filled  with  "signs"  {cf,  vs.  3). 
Vs.  II,  "the  Jews":  i.e.,  those  Jews  who  were  not  his  disciples.  Vs. 
12.  The  discussion  as  to  the  character  of  Jesus  here  mentioned  is 
evidence  of  the  great  impression  he  had  made  upon  his  countrymen. 
Compare  vs.  26.  Vss.  15-24.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  these  verses  belong 
properly  in  immediate  connection  with  5  :  47.  They  seem  to  continue 
the  discussion  there  reported.  See  If  206.  "Letters":  not  rudimen- 
tary knowledge,  but  rabbinical  learning.  That  Jesus  could  read 
appears   from    Luke    4:17.     Vs.    17,    "if    any   man   willeth,"   etc.:    a 

169 


I/O  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

central  principle  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  the  fourth  gospel.  Per- 
ception of  the  truth  of  his  teachings  comes  to  any  man  who  honestly 
endeavors  to  do  God's  will  as  far  as  he  perceives  it.  It  was  their 
unwillingness  to  follow  the  light  they  had  that  made  the  Jews  unable 
to  appreciate  Jesus.  {Cf.  John  3:19-21,  and  especially  5:39-47.) 
Vss.  19-24  illustrate  the  blindness  that  comes  to  religious  people  who 
refuse  to  see  all  truth  at  their  disposal.  The  Jews  were  ready  to  kill 
Jesus  for  breaking  (as  they  said)  the  sabbath  by  healing  a  man  on  that 
day.  Jesus  replies  that  they  do  not  hesitate  to  do  the  same  when  the 
legal  time  for  circumcising  a  boy  falls  on  that  day.  If  their  sabbath 
law  could  yield  to  the  law  of  circumcision,  he  argues  it  certainly  should 
to  that  of  mercy.  Vs.  27  refers  to  a  current  belief  that  the  Messiah 
should  come  unexpectedly  from  some  place  where  he  was  hidden. 
Vs.  28.  Jesus  concedes  that  they  know  he  comes  from  Galilee,  but 
denies  that  they  know  the  Person  from  whom  he  comes.  Vs.  34,  "shall 
not  find  me" :  referring  to  the  fact  that  with  their  natures  they  cannot 
hope  to  approach  the  God  to  whom  he  goes,  or  to  a  disappointment 
in  store  for  them  in  a  search  for  a  Messiah.  {Cf.  8  :  21-24.)  ^s.  35, 
"dispersion":  the  ordinary  term  to  denote  the  Jews  who  lived  dis- 
persed among  the  cities  of  the  Roman  empire.  Vss.  37,  38,  "if  any 
man,"  etc.:  words  probably  suggested  by  the  fact  that  on  each  day  of 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  except  the  last,  water  was  brought  in  a  golden 
pitcher  from  the  Pool  of  Siloam  to  the  temple,  in  commemoration  of 
the  water  given  the  Israelites  on  their  journey  from  Egypt  across  the 
desert.  Vs.  39  is  an  explanation  of  the  evangelist's,  identifying  the 
"living  water"  with  the  "gifts"  and  "fruit"  of  the  Spirit.  Vss.  40, 
41  illustrate  again  how  the  same  evidence  caused  faith  or  unbelief 
according  to  the  weight  men  gave  their  preconceptions  as  to  what  the 
Christ  should  be.  This  is  even  more  striking  in  the  words  of  the 
Pharisees  to  Nicodemus  (vs.  52).  It  is  worth  noticing  that  in  vs.  48  we 
have  evidence  that  Jesus  had  as  yet  no  open  followers  among  the  rulers 
of  the  Jews. 

^  202.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles. — This  feast  was  celebrated  in  the 
seventh  month  (September-October)  and  marked  the  close  of  the  fruit 
harvest.  It  also  commemorated  the  journey  from  Egypt  to  Palestine, 
and  therefore  the  people  lived  in  booths.  It  lasted  for  a  week,  and  on 
each  day  were  great  numbers  of  sacrifices.  By  the  time  of  Jesus  the 
feast  also  included,  among  other  ceremonies,  the  bringing  of  water 
from  Siloam  to  the  temple,  where  it  was  poured  as  a  libation  on  the 
altar,  and  the  lighting  of  the  four  great  golden  candelabra  in  the  Court 


DISCOURSES    AT    THE    FEAST    OF    TABERNACLES  I/I 

of  the  Women.    The  week  of  festivities  was  followed  by  a  day  of  "holy 
convocation."     See  Lev.  23:34-44;   Numb.  29:  12-40. 

^203.  Notes  on  §83,  John  7:53^8:11. — This  section  is  missing 
in  all  the  important  manuscripts  and  cannot  have  been  in  the  original 
text  of  the  gospel  preserved  for  us.  But  commentators  are  generally 
willing  to  accept  the  event  as  very  probably  historical,  coming  to  us 
from  some  eyewitness.  It  illustrates  the  tenderness  and  chivalry  of 
Jesus  as  well  as  his  appeal  to  the  consciences  of  the  woman's  accusers. 

^  204.  Notes  on  §  84,  John  8  :  12-30. — Vs  12,  "light"  :  a  figure  sug-~ 
gested  by  the  illuminations  of  the  feast  (see  ^  202),  which  in  turn 
recalled  the  pillar  of  fire  in  the  desert.  The  place  where  Jesus  was 
teaching  was  by  the  "treasury,"  /.  e.,  the  series  of  thirteen  chests  with 
trumpet-shaped  openings  intended  to  receive  gifts.  They  were  prob- 
ably in  or  near  the  wall  separating  the  Court  of  the  Women  from  that 
of  the  Gentiles.  Vss.  13-30  contain  a  new  statement  of  the  thought 
that  the  reason  for  the  Jews'  failure  to  appreciate  Jesus  was  moral.  The 
evidence  he  submitted  to  them  would  have  been  sufficient  had  they 
not  "judged  according  to  the  flesh,"  and  thus  without  spiritual  sym- 
pathy. They  drew  their  thought  and  their  life,  nor  from  God,  but  from 
sinful  sources.  This  blinds  their  religious  vision.  Vs.  24,  "that  I 
am":  supply  "not  of  this  world"  or  "from  above"  (vs.  23).  Vs.  25, 
"even  that  which  I  have  spoken,"  etc.:  a  very  obscure  statement  even 
in  the  Greek.  It  may  refer  to  the  effort  made  by  Jesus  from  the  very 
outset  of  his  mission  to  get  them  to  appreciate  him  ;  or  to  the  definition 
he  has  just  given  of  himself  at  the  beginning  of  his  discourse  (vs.  12), 
"the  light  of  the  world."  Vs.  26.  Jesus  here  states  his  duty:  to  speak 
the  truth  God  has  given  him  even  to  those  who  do  not  appreciate  it. 
Vs.  28,  "when  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man":  a  difficult  saying 
to  understand,  but  probably  implies  that  when  the  Jews  have  killed 
Jesus  (John  12  :  32,  33),  they  will  see,  in  the  miseries  that  follow,  that  he 
was  the  Messiah  and  that  his  self-estimate  was  due  to  his  correct  appre- 
ciation of  the  mission  God  had  given  him.  Their  present  duty  was, 
without  waiting  for  that  judgment  day,  to  accept  him  as  the  Christ. 

^1  205.  Notes  on  §85,  John  8: 31-59. — Vs.  31,  "those  Jews  which  had 
believed  on  him  "  :  cf.  vs.  30.  Evidently  their  faith  was  not  complete 
or  intelligent,  for  they  had  not  seen  the  real  significance  of  Jesus.  He 
now  proceeds  to  instruct  them.  Faith  is  to  lead  them  to  follow  his 
teaching  ("abiding  in  my  word"),  and  thus  to  moral  emancipation 
through  the  truth  he  taught.  Vs.  33,  "never  yet  been  in  bondage": 
/.  e,,  been  slaves  and  so  in  need  of  emancipation.     Their  words  show 


172  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

how  far  they  were  from  being  true  disciples  of  Jesus.  They  do  not 
think  of  moral  bondage.  Vs.  34  describes  the  slavery  to  which  Jesus 
made  reference — slavery  to  sin.  Could  there  be  a  worse  master? 
Vs.  35  contains  a  slight  change  of  figure  —  the  father  of  the  son  cannot 
be  the  master  of  the  slave.  The  main  thought,  however,  is  plain. 
The  slave  can  be  emancipated,  and  Jesus  has  the  power  of  absolute 
emancipation  because  of  his  authority  as  Son  of  God.  Vs.  37.  From 
this  point  the  words  of  Jesus  can  hardly  have  been  addressed  to  the 
Jews  who  had  begun  to  have  faith  in  him.  Vs.  39, '*  the  works  of 
Abraham":  /.  e.,  faith.  The  central  thought  of  the  section  vss.  37-47  is 
derived  from  the  thought  "like  father,  like  son,"  /.  e.,  a  good  man  is 
like  God  and  sees  the  likeness  of  God  in  other  good  men.  Moral 
characters  and  relationships  are  revealed  by  acts,  and  specifically  by 
the  response  of  men's  hearts  to  the  character  and  teaching  of  Jesus. 
Men  of  God  respond  to  divine  thought  (vs.  47).  Vs.  48,  "  Samaritan  "  : 
the  name  of  a  hated  race,  but  here  is  possibly  a  mistransliteration  in 
the  Greek  for  Shomron,  the  prince  of  the  devils.  Vs.  51,  **  death  "  :  i.  e., 
the  opposite  of  eternal  life  ;  moral,  not  physical.  Vss.  54,  55  contain 
a  new  insistence  by  Jesus  upon  the  clearness  of  his  knowledge  of  God. 
Vs.  56,  "rejoiced  to  see  my  day,"  etc.:  hence  Abraham  recognized  my 
superiority  to  him.  A  further  implication  possibly  is  a  denial  of  the 
Jews'  statement  that  Abraham  is  dead.  Cf.  Mark  12  :  26.  Vs.  58, 
"before  Abraham  was  I  am"  :  a  claim  of  preexistence.  Vs.  59  does 
not  of  necessity  involve  anything  miraculous. 

^  206.  The  Order  of  Sections  in  the  Gospel  of  John. — Attention  has  been 
much  directed  in  recent  years  to  what  seem  to  be  indications  that  the  original 
arrangement  of  some  of  the  material  of  the  gospel  of  John  has  been  in  some 
way  changed.  Thus,  for  example,  in  7  :  15  the  Jews  appparently  refer  to  a 
statement  of  Jesus  in  5:47,  and  the  paragraph  vss.  15-24  unquestionably 
carries  forward  the  controversy  related  in  chap.  5.  It  is  very  unlikely  that 
the  events  of  chap.  6  and  of  7  :  1-14,  involving  months  of  absence  from  Jeru- 
salem on  Jesus'  part,  fall  between  the  two  parts  of  one  conversation.  To 
carry  back  these  verses  to  the  end  of  chap.  5  seems  clearly  to  restore  the 
original  connection.  Some  other  instances  are  less  clear,  but  the  probability 
is  that  a  number  of  such  transpositions  have  occurred  in  chaps.  6-18. 
Whether  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  John  left  his  gospel  in  the  form  of  dis- 
courses rather  than  a  completed  book,  and  that  his  disciples  arranged  them 
after  his  death,  or  to  accidental  displacement  of  the  sheets  of  which  the  book 
was  composed,  or  to  some  other  unknown  cause,  cannot  now  be  certainly 
determined. 


DISCOURSES    AT    THE    FEAST    OF    TABERNACLES  1 73 

See  Spitta,  Zur  Geschichte  u.  Litteratur  des  Urchristenthums,  Vol.  I,  pp.  157-204  ; 
Bacon,  in  Journal  of  Biblical  Literature,  1894,  pp.  64-76;  and  American  Journal  of 
Theology,  October,  1900,  pp.  770-95 ;  Burton,  in  Biblical  World,  January,  1899, 
pp.  27  ff. 

^  207.  Characteristics  of  the  Third  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry. — This 
third  period  of  the  Galilean  ministry,  so-called,  is  largely  spent  in  journeys 
which  carried  Jesus  into  regions  north  of  Galilee,  and  outside  of  Jewish 
territory ;  to  which  is  also  added  a  journey  to  Jerusalem.  The  inclusion  of 
the  period  in  the  Galilean  ministry  is  justified  by  the  fact  that  only  at  its 
close  did  Jesus  finally  give  over  work  in  Galilee,  and  set  his  face  toward 
Jerusalem  (Mark  10  :  i ;  Luke  9  :  51). 

The  events  narrated  in  John,  chap.  6,  show  why  Jesus  was  constrained  to 
withdraw  to  so  great  an  extent  from  Galilee.  When  the  multitude  which 
one  day  was  ready  to  compel  Jesus  to  be  their  king  is  the  next  day  reluc- 
tantly convinced  that  his  aims  are  wholly  spiritual,  that  he  will  not  exercise 
his  supernatural  power  for  the  furtherance  of  worldly  and  selfish  ends,  many 
of  them  turn  their  backs  upon  him.  If  this  multitude  represents  the  people 
of  Galilee,  it  is  evident  that,  for  the  present  at  least,  evangelization  cannot 
be  further  prosecuted  in  this  region.  The  truth  has  won  its  own  and  repelled 
the  rest.  The  attitude  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  as  it  appears  in  Mark 
7  : 1-23  points  in  the  same  direction.     Q^'l  173. 

From  this  fact,  too,  it  is  evident  that  the  time  of  Christ's  suffering  cannot 
be  far  distant ;  and  for  this  the  disciples  must  be  prepared.  The  long  north- 
ern journeys  not  only  provide  a  way  of  escape  from  Galilee,  but  afford 
opportunity  for  teaching  the  disciples,  clarifying  their  thoughts,  and  prepar- 
ing their  minds  for  what  is  speedily  to  come  to  pass.  To  this  purpose  are 
related  the  confession  of  Peter,  Jesus'  announcement  of  his  sufferings,  death, 
and  resurrection,  and  the  transfiguration.  The  faith  of  the  apostles,  which 
has  endured  the  shock  of  opposition  and  defection  on  the  part  of  the  people 
(John  6  :  65-71),  and  which  had  risen  to  the  p3int  of  a  deliberate  and  explicit 
acknowledgment  of  Jesus'  messiahship  (Matt.  16:13-20),  yet  recoils  from 
the  announcement  that  Jesus  must  die  (Matt.  16:21,  22). 

The  two  ideas,  divine  messiahship  and  death  at  the  hands  of  the  leades 
of  the  nation,  are  to  the  disciples  irreconcilable.  Yet  it  is  needful  that  their 
faith  accept  both.  And  this  is,  to  the  three  that  witnessed  it,  the  lesson  of 
the  transfiguration.  On  the  mountain  they  see  the  shining  forth  of  his  glory; 
they  hear  Moses  and  Elijah  speak  concerning  his  departure,  which  he  was 
to  accomplish  at  Jerusalem  ;  they  hear  the  Father's  voice  attesting  the  Lord's 
divine  sonship,  and  bidding  them  believe  his  word.  Thus  the  two  irreconcil- 
able ideas  are  both  affirmed  by  unimpeachable  witnesses.  Returning  from 
the  mountain  toward  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  Jesus  repeats  the  prophecy  of  his 
death.  Though  even  now  not  fully  comprehending  his  meaning,  they  yet 
perceive  enough  to  be  deeply  sorrowful  and  no  longer  to  contradict. 

Of  the  three  features  which  were  mentioned  under  ^  173  as  characterizing 


174  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

the  second  period  of  the  Galilean  ministry — active  evangelization,  organization 
of  the  kingdom,  instruction  of  the  apostles  —  it  is  evident  that  the  third  is 
most  prominent  in  the  present  period.  If  we  should  characterize  each  of 
the  three  periods  of  the  Galilean  ministry  by  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  the 
Twelve,  they  might  be  designated  thus :  first  period,  the  gathering  of  the 
apostles;  second  period,  the  instruction  of  the  apostles  respecting  the  nature 
of  the  kingdom  and  the  training  of  them  in  the  work  of  evangelization ;  third 
period,  the  beginning  of  the  preparation  of  the  apostles  for  the  departure  of 
Jesus. 

As  respects  the  attitude  of  others  to  Jesus,  this  is  evidently  in  the  main 
one  of  dormant  opposition.  In  Galilee  Jesus  avoids  conflict,  yet  when  he 
tests  the  temper  of  the  people  he  finds  it  unchanged  (Mark  8  : 1 1). 


^208.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  Relate  the 
conversation  between  Jesus  and  his  brothers.  (2)  What  evidence 
is  there  that  his  brothers  did  not  believe  in  Jesus?  (3)*  How 
does  Jesus  compare  the  importance  of  himself  and  them?  (4)* 
Describe  briefly  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  (5)*  What  was  the 
main  subject  of  Jesus'  teaching  at  the  feast?  (6)*  What  argu- 
ment does  he  use  to  justify  his  right  to  do  good  on  the  sabbath 
day?  (7)  Should  there  ever  have  been  any  need  for  such  an 
argument?  (8)*  Why  did  not  the  people  believe  Jesus  was  the 
Christ?  (9)  How  does  Jesus  distinguish  between  himself  and 
his  enemies?  (10)*  Give  the  various  arguments  used  by  the 
Jews  at  this  time  in  favor  of  and  against  the  messiahship  of  Jesus. 
(11)    Had  there  ever  been  a  prophet  from  Galilee? 

(12)*  What  charge  did  the  Jews  bring  against  the  trustworthi- 
ness of  Jesus'  testimony  to  himself?  (13)*  On  what  grounds 
does  Jesus  defend  its  trustworthiness?  (14)*  What  is  the  mean- 
ing of  the  warning  of  Jesus  in  John  8:21?  (15)  How  does 
Jesus  account  for  this  failure  to  believe  in  him?  (16)*  What  is 
the  meaning  of  John  8:28?  (17)*  In  what  sense  is  Jesus  the 
light  of  the  world? 

(18)*  What,  according  to  Jesus,  is  the  effect  of  truth?     (19)*  , 
What  of  sin?     (20)*  What  work  of  Abraham  can  all  men  per- 
form?    (21)  What  estimate  does  Jesus  put  on  himself  in  John 
8:53-58?      (22)   What  is  the  chief  reason  today  why  men  do 


DISCOURSES    AT    THE    FEAST    OF    TABERNACLES  175 

not  appreciate  Jesus?  (23)  In  what  respect  is  Jesus  a  deliv- 
erer? (24)*  Collect  the  descriptions  of  Jesus  given  by  himself 
in  §§  82,  84,  85,  and  give  a  brief  interpretation  of  each. 

If  209.  Constructive  Work. — The  student  should  write  chap,  xx  of 
his  "  Life  of  Christ,"  following  the  outline  at  the  head  of  this  chapter, 
and  discussing  especially  the  illuminating  and  the  emancipating  influ- 
ence of  Jesus'  teaching. 

•[[210.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  Feast  of, Tabernacles :  its  origin  and  celebration. 
Edersheim,  The  Temple,  chap.  14  ;  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,  Vol.  II,  pp.  145-60. 

2.  The  relations  of  Jesus  with  his  family. 

^211.  Review  Questions  on  the  Galilean  Ministry. — (i)* 
Into  what  three  parts  is  the  Galilean  ministry  divided  ?  (Name 
the  terminal  events  as  given  in  the  part  titles.)  (2)*  Give  the 
chapters  or  the  sections,  or  the  chapters  and  the  sections,  of  the 
first  of  the  three  periods.  (3)*  Of  the  second.  (4)*  Of  the 
third.  (5)*  Name  the  events  of  the  first  period  which  are  most 
important  and  characteristic.  (6)*  Of  the  second.  (7)*  Of 
the  third.  (8)*  Describe  Jesus'  situation  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Galilean  ministry  as  respects  disciples,  reputation,  attitude 
of  the  people,  attitude  of  the  leaders  of  the  people.  (9)*  Char- 
acterize by  its  salient  features  the  first  period  of  the  Galilean 
ministry.  (  10)*  The  second.  (11)*  The  third.  (12)*  Describe 
Jesus*  situation  at  the  end  of  the  first  period,  at  the  end  of  the 
second,  at  the  end  of  the  third.  (13)*  What  was  the  general 
result  of  the  whole  ministry  in  Galilee  ?  t- 


Part  VII. 
THE  PEREAN  MINISTRY. 

FROM    THE    FINAL    DEPARTURE    FROM    GALILEE    UNTIL    THE   FINAL 
ARRIVAL  AT  JERUSALEM. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    DEPARTURE    FROM    GALILEE    AND    THE    MISSION    OF    THE 

SEVENTY. 

§86.  The  final  departure  from  Galilee. 

Matt.  19  : 1 ,  2.  Mark  10  :  i.  Luke  9  :  51-62. 

Matt.  8  :  [18J  19-22. 
§87.  The  mission  of  the  Seventy. 

Matt.  II : 20-30.  Luke  10  : 1-24. 

§88.  The  good  Samaritan. 

Luke  10 :  25-37. 
§89.  The  visit  to  Martha  and  Mary. 

Luke  10  :  38-42. 

^212.  The  Records  of  the  Perean  Ministry. — The  Perean  ministry,  so- 
called,  is  bounded  by  the  departure  from  Galilee  recorded  in  Matt.  19:1; 
Mark  10:  i,  and  Luke  9:51  on  the  one  side,  and  on  the  other  by  the  arrival 
at  Jerusalem,  likewise  recorded  by  all  three  (Matt.  21:1;  Mark  11:  i;  Luke 
19:  29),  as  well  as  in  John  12:12.  In  length,  however,  the  several  records 
vary  greatly.  Mark's  account  of  events  between  the  departure  from  Galilee 
and  the  arrival  at  Jerusalem  comprises  but  one  chapter,  the  tenth.  Matthew's 
follows  Mark's  closely,  adding  some  material,  chiefly  that  of  20  :  1-16.  Luke's 
record,  on  the  other  hand,  covers  ten  chapters,  from  9  :  5  i  — 19  :  28,  of  which 
only  18  :  15-43  is  parallel  to  Mark.  A  fraction  of  the  remainder  is  paralleled 
in  Matthew,  but  in  the  latter  gospel  is  assigned,  not  to  this  period,  but  to  the 
Galilean  ministry  and  passion  week.  This  whole  portion  of  Luke  has  some- 
what the  appearance  of  being  a  collection  of  events  and  teachings  largely 
without  reference  to  their  order.  Very  probably,  with  the  exception  of  the 
portions  which  are  parallel  to  Mark,  it  constituted  one  of  his  documentary 
sources,  introduced  here  entire.  Though  there  is  no  better  order  in  which  to 
study  these  events  than  that  in  which  Luke  has  given  them,  yet  the  student 
is  scarcelv  warranted  in  laying  any  stress  on  the  order  of  succession.  The 
events  from  John's  gospel  that  fall  in  this  period  occur  chiefly  at  Jerusalem. 

176 


THE    DEPARTURE    FROM    GALILEE  1 77 

The  arrangement  of  them  with  reference  to  the  Luke  events  must  be  in  large 
part  conjecturaL  The  only  clue  we  possess,  and  this  a  very  uncertain  one,  is 
the  fact  that  Luke's  narrative  suggests  two  arrivals  at  Jerusalem  preceding 
the  final  one,  and  John  likewise  intimates  the  same.  In  the  arrangement 
which  we  follow  the  three  arrivals  implied  in  Luke  are  made  to  tally  with  the 
three  implied  in  John.  Yet  in  view  of  the  possibility  that  the  order  of  John's 
gospel  is  not  as  it  stands  chronological  {cf.  ^206),  and  a  like  uncertainty  con- 
cerning this  portion  of  Luke,  it  is  possible  to  affirm  confidently  no  more  than 
that  there  was  in  all  probability  a  considerable  interval  between  the  depar- 
ture from  Galilee  and  the  final  arrival  in  Jerusalem,  which  was  occupied  by 
Jesus  in  the  evangelization  of  the  regions  not  yet  reached,  the  instruction  of 
the  disciples,  and  controversy  with  the  Jerusalem  leaders.     See  also  ^213. 

^1213.  Notes  on  §86,  Luke  9 :  51-62. — Vs.  51,  "that  he  should  be 
received  up":  leave  the  earth  for  heaven;  the  corresponding  verb  is 
used  in  Mark  16:  19;  Acts  1:2,  11,  22  of  the  ascension.  Luke  looks 
beyond  the  death  and  resurrection  to  the  ascension,  or  includes  the 
former  in  the  latter.  "Steadfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem"  : 
set  out  with  fixed  purpose  to  go  to  the  city  where  he  knew  that  he  must 
die  (Matt.  16:21;  17  :  22,  23).  Vs.  52,  "a  village  of  the  Samaritans"  : 
Evidently  therefore  it  was  his  intention  to  make  his  journey,  in  part  at 
least,  through  Samaria.  Mark  10:1  says,  "cometh  into  the  borders  of 
Judea  and  beyond  Jordan,"  an  expression  which  covers  the  whole 
period  from  the  departure  from  Galilee  till  the  arrival  at  Jerusalem, 
and  distinguishes  Judea  from  Perea  ("beyond  Jordan").  Matt.  19:  i, 
omitting  the  "and"  of  Mark,  limits  the  statement  to  the  journey 
through  Perea.  Neither  Matthew  nor  Mark  mentions  the  Samaritan 
incident.  Luke  evidently  has  independent  sources.  "To  make  ready 
for  him":  provide  him  a  place  of  lodging,  etc.;  Cf.  Mark  6  :  10  ;  Jesus 
was  evidently  traveling  with  quite  a  company  —  a  fact  which  leads  us 
to  distinguish  this  journey  from  that  of  John  7:  10.  On  vss.  53-56 
cf.  Mark  6:11;  Matt.  10:23. 

Vs.  58,  "the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head":  a 
homeless  wanderer,  made  so,  however,  not  by  absolute  poverty,  but  by 
the  necessities  of  his  mission,  a  fact  of  which  Jesus  would  be  especially 
conscious  at  this  moment,  when  he  had  left  Galilee  behind,  and  had 
been  repulsed  from  a  Samaritan  village.  Vs.  59,  "suffer  me  first  to 
go  and  bury  my  father":  We  naturally  assume  that  the  father  was  lying 
dead.  But  it  may  be  that  the  man  meant  to  ask  permission  to  remain 
at  home  while  his  father  lived,  and  only  after  his  death  to  follow  Jesus. 
What  circumstances  of  the  man's  state  of  mind  or  of  Jesus'  plan  jus- 
tified Jesus'   seemingly   stern    answer  we    cannot    tell.      The    general 


178  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

meaning  is  in  any  case  clear ;  the  kingdom  of  heaven  always  has  the 
first  claim,  and  there  are  circumstances  which  render  the  duty  of 
preaching  the  kingdom  so  imperative  that  not  even  the  otherwise 
imperative  duty  of  showing  respect  to  one's  aged  or  deceased  parents 
can  stand  in  the  way  of  such  service.  Lesser  duties  can  be  left  to 
those  who  have  heard  no  such  voice  of  duty — those  who  are  still  spiri- 
tually dead.  Vs.  61,  "to  bid  farewell  to  them  that  are  at  my  house  "  : 
to  linger  a  little  longer  before  taking  the  final  step,  the  outcome  of 
which  would  probably  have  been  that  his  resolution  to  follow  Jesus 
would  have  disappeared.  To  the  first  of  the  three  disciples,  who  was 
in  danger  of  taking  impulsively  a  step  the  significance  of  which  he  had 
not  considered,  Jesus  points  out  the  cost  and  seriousness  of  disciple- 
ship  ;  to  the  second,  its  paramount  claims ;  to  the  third,  the  danger  of 
irresolution  and  the  need  of  prompt  decisive  choice. 

Matthew  also  contains  two  of  these  three  incidents,  but  places  them 
in  the  midst  of  the  Galilean  ministry,  as  Jesus  returns  from  the  coun- 
try of  the  Gadarenes.  This  he  doubtless  did  to  bring  them  into  the 
chapter  which  emphasizes  the  authority  of  Jesus. 

^[214.  Notes  on  §87,  Luke  10:1-24.  —  Vs.  i,  "seventy  others 
....  two  and  two  ....  into  every  city  and  village  whither  he  him- 
self was  about  to  come"  :  This  sentence  makes  it  clear  that  Jesus 
planned  a  quite  extensive  evangelistic  tour,  intending  himself  to  visit 
not  less  than  thirty-five  towns,  probably  many  more.  Where  these 
towns  were  Luke  does  not  say,  other  than  that  they  were  between  Gali- 
lee and  Jerusalem.  Probably  many,  perhaps  most,  of  them  lay  in 
Perea,  as  Matthew  suggests,  or  in  Judea  and  Perea,  as  Mark  implies. 
Perea  was  the  one  territory  inhabited  by  Jews  in  which  Jesus  had  as  yet 
done  little  or  no  work.  Knowing  that  the  end  of  his  life  is  near,  he 
plans  a  tour  which  shall  reach  as  fully  as  may  be  the  one  remaining 
district  of  Palestine.  This  event,  therefore,  gives  character  in  large 
part  to  the  whole  period.  On  vs.  2  see  Tf  161.  Vss.  3-12  are  very 
similar  in  general  purport  to  the  instructions  to  the  Twelve  given  in 
Mark  6:8-16.  See  §64  and  1|^i6o,  161.  The  most  notable  peculi- 
arity of  this  passage  (taken  up,  however,  by  Matthew  in  his  chap.  10) 
is  the  latter  half  of  vs.  7,  "  the  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  on  which 
compare  i  Cor.  9:14  with  its  context,  and  i  Tim.  5:18.  Vss.  13-16 
(parallel  to  Matt.  11:20-24),  the  woes  upon  the  cities  that  did  not 
receive  him,  Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum,  illustrate  both  how 
much  of  the  activity  of  Jesus  is  not  specially  recorded  in  the  gospels, 
and  how  supreme  an  emphasis  he    put  upon   the  significance  of  the 


THE    MISSION    OF    THE    SEVENTY  179 

message  which  he  brought.  They  who  reject  Jesus  pronounce  on 
themselves  a  doom  than  which  there  can  be  none  more  severe. 

Vs.  17,  "and  the  seventy  returned"  :  not  necessarily  or  probably 
all  at  once,  but  in  pairs  from  time  to  time.  Vs.  i8,  "I  beheld  Satan 
as  lightning  fallen"  :  rather,  beheld  Satan  ....  fall;  a  highly  figura- 
tive expression  for  his  foresight  of  the  overthrow  of  Satan's  dominion 
in  the  world.  Vs.  20,  "  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven  "  :  /.  ^., 
that  you  are  the  accepted  children  of  God ;  this  fundamental  fact  is  far 
more  than  the  possession  of  a  particular  form  of  power. 

Vs.  21,  "  didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and  understanding": 
These  words  must  not  be  separated  in  thought  from  those  which  fol- 
low. The  fact  in  which  Jesus  rejoices  is  that  not  wisdom  and  learn- 
ing are  requisite  for  the  reception  of  the  gospel  message,  but  only 
open-mindedness  and  childlike  simplicity.  Or  it  may  be  that  Jesus' 
thankfulness  is  based  simply  on  the  fact  that  it  seemed  good  in  God's 
sight  —  a  thing  which  he  accepted  in  faith,  though  unable  to  under- 
stand it.  (y.  Matt.  13:52.  Vs.  22,  "all  things  have  been  delivered 
unto  me  of  my  Father,"  etc.:  a  most  notable  saying  of  a  kind  common 
in  the  gospel  of  John,  but  rare  in  the  other  gospels,  attested  hereby  its 
presence  in  Matthew  and  Luke.  It  is  an  affirmation  of  the  full  author- 
ity of  Jesus  as  the  representative  of  the  Father  on  earth,  of  the  perfect 
fellowship  between  the  Son  and  the  Father,  and  of  the  dependence  of 
men  upon  the  Son  for  knowledge  of  the  Father. 

Vss.  23,  24  (found  also,  except  for  the  introductory  sentence,  in 
Matt.  13  :  16,  17)  emphasize  the  peculiar  privilege  which  the  disciples 
enjoyed  in  having  this  revelation. 

Matt.  II  :  28-30  adds  to  the  material  common  to  both  evangelists 
words  which  for  centuries  have  brought  peace  to  burdened  hearts. 
When  Jesus  uttered  them,  we  have  no  certain  means  of  knowing ;  but 
of  how  little  consequence  that  is  compared  with  the  words  themselves  ! 

Note  the  mingling  of  the  severe  and  gentle  sides  of  Jesus*  character 
in  the  gospel. 

•j  215.  Notes  on  §88,  Luke  10:25-37. — Vs.  25,  "a  .  .  .  .  lawyer": 
a  scribe.  "Tempted  him  ":  put  him  to  the  test,  not  necessarily  mali- 
ciously. Vs.  28,  "this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live  ":  shalt  inherit  eternal 
life  (see  vs.  25).  Vs.  30,  "fell  among  robbers":  This  road  is  still 
infested  with  robbers.  Vs.  34,  "  pouring  on  them  oil  and  wine  ":  the 
usual  remedies  then  for  such  injuries.  Vs.  35,  "two  pence":  two 
denarii  {cf.  ^  167).  The  parable  (for  such  it  is  in  effect,  even  if  the 
incident  actually  occurred  as  related)  answers  the  question.  Who  is  my 


l80  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

neighbor,  whom  I  am  to  love  as  myself  ?  the  answer  being,  in  effect, 
that  my  neighbor  is  anyone  whom  it  is  in  my  power  to  help.  Vs.  37, 
"  go  thou  and  do  likewise  ":  /.  e.,  if  you  would  inherit  eternal  life,  love 
your  neighbor  as  yourself,  count  him  as  neighbor  whom  you  can 
help,  and  show  your  love  in  readiness  to  help.  He  who  does  this  shall 
inherit  eternal  life.  This  is  the  same  standard  that  is  set  up  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  here  as  there  it  is  the  standard,  not  the 
power  by  which  it  is  to  be  attained,  that  Jesus  speaks  of. 

Tf  216.  Notes  on  §89,  Luke  10:38-42. — Vs.  -t^Z,  "  a  certain  village  ": 
Cy.  John  1 1  :  I.  Vs.  39,  "  sat  at  the  Lord's  feet  ":  as  a  pupil.  Vs.  41, 
"cumbered,"  etc.:  distracted,  drawn  hither  and  thither  with  her  efforts 
to  entertain  Jesus  elaborately.  Vs.  42,  "but  one  thing  is  needful": 
referring  primarily  to  food,  as  is  still  more  clear  if  the  marginal  read- 
of  the  R.  v.,  "but  few  things  are  needful  or  one,"  is  the  correct  one. 
"Mary  hath  chosen  the  good  part":  a  play  on  words,  as  if  Jesus  had 
said,  "  Mary  has  chosen  the  best  food,  namely,  to  sit  at  my  feet  and 
be  taught."  The  words  of  Jesus  are  at  once  a  gentle  and  courteous 
protest  against  his  hostess'  making  his  stay  in  her  house  the  occasion 
of  elaborate  entertainment  of  him  —  a  thing  which,  though  it  sprang 
from  the  impulse  of  love,  yet  both  deprived  her  of  the  benefits  of  his 
presence  there  and  really  dishonored  him  by  assuming  that  he  cared 
more  for  fine  food  than  for  the  joy  of  imparting  truth  (cf.  John  4  :  34). 
Only  an  over-literalness,  which  is  false  interpretation,  can  find  in  them 
the  idea  that  Jesus  objected  to  their  providing  or  preparing  suitable 
food  for  themselves  or  him. 


^217.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)*  In  what 
gospel '  is  there  the  fullest  account  of  the  Perean  ministry, 
so-called?  (2)*  What  other  gospels  have  some  record  of  it? 
(3)  Did  all  of  the  events  of  this  period  actually  occur  in  Perea  ? 
If  not,  in  w^hat  other  regions  ?  (4)*  Explain  the  meaning  of 
Luke  9:  5L  (5)*  What  does  vs.  52  imply  as  to  the  route  which 
Jesus  had  intended  to  pursue  ?  (6)  What  spirit  did  the  Samari- 
tans show,  and  what  the  disciples  ?  (7)*  State  Jesus'  answers  to 
the  three  disciples  that  proposed  to  follow  him.  (8)  Explain 
the  meaning  of  each  answer. 

(9)*  What  does  Luke  10:  i  show  as  to  Jesus'  plans  of  work 
in  this  period?  (10)  How  much  time  would  be  required  to 
carry  out  this  plan  ?      (11)  What  is  the  general  intent  of  Jesus 


THE    MISSION    OF    THE    SEVENTY 


l8l 


instructions  to  these  disciples?  (12)  On  what  previous  occa- 
sion had  he  given  similar  instructions?  (13)  For  what  does 
Jesus  upbraid  the  cities  in  which  he  had  labored?  (14)  What 
general  principle  is  implied  in  his  comparison  of  their  guilt  with 
that  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  ?  (15)  Suggest  modern  applications  of 
that  principle.  (16)  Which  principle  is  implied  in  Luke  10  :  16  ? 
(17)  Explain  Luke  lO  :  20  (cf.  Matt.  10  :  40  ;  Mark  9  :  37).  (18) 
What  is  the  meaning  of  Luke  10:21?  (19)  Of  Luke  10:22? 
(20)  Of  Matt.  11;  28-30? 

(21)  What  led  Jesus  to  tell  the  story  of  the  merciful  Sama- 
ritan? (22)  What  did  he  intend  to  teach  by  it?  (23)  What 
other  words  or  discourses  of  Jesus  teach  substantially  the  same  ? 

(24)  For  what  did  Jesus  reprove  Martha  when  he  visited  her 
house?  (25)  What  general  principle  underlies  this  reproof? 
(26)  Wherein  is  Jesus'  example  on  this  occasion  an  example  to 
guests  in  general  ? 

^218.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxi  of  your  "  Life  of  Christ," 
bringing  out  as  clearly  as  you  can  what  Jesus  set  out  to  accomplish  in 
this  period,  explaining  the  significance  of  the  mission  of  the  Seventy, 
and  discussing  brieflv  the  other  events  of  the  chapter. 

^219.     Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Did  Jesus  follow  any  systematic  plan  for  the  evangelization  of 
the  different  parts  of  Palestine  ? 

2.  The  relation  of  the  seventy  disciples  to  Jesus  as  compared  with 
that  of  the  Twelve. 

3.  A  study  of  Matt.  1 1  :  28-30. 

4.  The  applicability  of  Luke  10 :  23,  24  to  the  Christians  of  today? 


YARMUK  VALLEY,  LOOKING  EAST. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE    HEALING    OF     THE     MAN    BORN    BLIND,    AND    OTHER    EVENTS    IN 

JERUSALEM. 

§90.     Healing  of  the  man  born  blind.  John,  chap.  9. 

§91.    The  Good  Shepherd.  John  10: 1-21. 

§  92.     Christ  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication.         John  10  :  22-42. 

^  220.  Notes  on  §  90,  John,  chap.  9. —  The  narrative  of  this  chapter 
falls  into  the  following  somewhat  distinct  parts  :  (i)  the  conversation 
between  Jesus  and  his  disciples  concerning  the  cause  of  the  man's 
blindness,  etc.,  vss.  1-5 ;  (2)  the  healing  of  the  man,  vss.  6,  7 ; 
(3)  conversation  about  the  man  and  between  him  and  his  neighbors, 
vss.  8-12;  (4)  the  discussion  of  the  Pharisees  with  the  man,  vss.  13- 
17;  (5)  discussion  with  his  parents,  vss.  18-23;  (6)  second  discussion 
of  the  Pharisees  with  the  man,  vss.  24-34  ;  (7)  conversation  between 
Jesus  and  the  man,  vss.  35-39  ;  (8)  conversation  between  Jesus  and  the 
Pharisees.  With  this  is  evidently  connected  in  thought  10  :  19-21  {cf. 
the  similar  relation  of  7  :  15-24  to  chap.  5).  The  whole  narrative 
reminds  us  of  chap.  5,  in  which,  as  here,  Jesus  healed  a  man  in  Jerusa- 
lem on  the  sabbath  day,  the  Jews,  learning  from  the  healed  man  who 
had  healed  him,  accuse  Jesus  of  breaking  the  sabbath,  and  Jesus  enters 
into  discussion  with  them.  In  both  narratives  there  is  the  same  conflict 
between  the  argument  that  Jesus  cannot  be  a  good  man  because  he 
breaks  the  sabbath,  and  the  inference  that  he  must  be  sent  from  God 
because  of  the  works  that  he  does.  In  the  extent  of  the  discussion 
between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees,  and  in  other  details,  the  two  events 
are  quite  different.  The  conduct  of  the  man  is  much  more  prominent 
in  this  narrative,  and  his  character  stands  out  much  more  distinctly. 

The  time  of  this  event  is  difficult  to  determine.  In  John  7  :  14 
Jesus  is  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles;  in  10  :  22,  at  the  Feast  of  Dedica- 
tion. At  no  point  between  is  there  a  clear  indication  of  the  separation 
between  what  happened  at  the  one  feast  and  that  which  belongs  at 
the  other.  We  may  perhaps  most  safely  assume  that  all  of  chaps.  9 
and  10  belong  to  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  though  it  is  altogether  pos- 
sible that  the  original  order   of  the  paragraphs   has  been   disturbed. 

See  ^  206. 

182 


HEALING    OF    THE    MAN    BORN    BLIND  183 

Vs.  I,  "as  he  passed  by":  For  the  reasons  just  indicated,  this 
expression  affords  no  certain  indication  as  to  the  time  and  place  of  this 
event.  Vs.  3,  "neither  did  this  man  sin  nor  his  parents  "  :  as  so  often 
in  Jesus'  words,  not  to  be  taken  literally;  answering  the  question  of  the 
disciples  Jesus  says  that  the  man's  blindness  is  not  traceable  either  to 
his  own  or  his  parents'  sin.  Thus  he  rejects  that  theory  on  the  basis 
of  which  so  many  still  blame  others,  torture  themselves,  or  rebel  against 
God,  viz.:  that  every  misfortune  is  a  divine  punishment  of  sin.  That 
sin  brings  suffering  Jesus  does  not  deny  here,  and  elsewhere  teaches  ; 
but  not  in  the  sens&that  each  misfortune  or  item  of  suffering  can  be 
traced  back  to  a  particular  sin.  The  greatest  sufferers  are  not  neces- 
sarily the  greatest  sinners,  or  children  of  great  sinners.  "But  that  the 
works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him "  :  The  reference  is 
perhaps  primarily  to  the  restoration  of  his  sight  by  Jesus  ;  but  the  prin- 
ciple is  broader  than  this.  All  suffering  has  its  end,  not  solely  in  the 
punishment  or  the  good  of  the  sufferer,  but  in  the  accomplishment  of 
the  gracious  and  far-reaching  purposes  of  God  for  the  world.  Vs.  5  : 
Cf.  John  8:  12.  Vs.  6,  "made  clay  of  the  spittle"  :  Cf.  Mark  8:  23. 
Vs.  7,  "the  Pool  of  Siloam"  :  still  existing,  and  known  as  *Ain  Silwan. 
It  is  situated  outside  the  city  walls  at  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
city.  The  ancient  wall  approached  it  much  nearer  than  the  modern 
wall  does.  Its  present  dimensions  are  eighteen  feet  from  east  to  west, 
by  fifty-five  feet  north  and  south,  and  twenty-five  feet  deep.  It  was 
formerly  much  larger.  It  is  fed  from  the  so-called  Virgin's  Fountain, 
through  a  tunnel  1,760  feet  long,  through  which  the  flow  is  intermittent. 
An  inscription  describing  the  construction  of  the  tunnel  was  found 
within  it  in  1880. 

Vss.  24,  25.  The  two  methods  of  reasoning  referred  to  above 
stand  out  here  distinctly.  The  Pharisees  reason  that  Jesus  is  a  sinner 
because  he  does  not  observe  the  sabbath  according  to  their  notion  of 
its  proper  observance.  The  kindliness  of  his  action  weighs  for  nothing 
with  them.  Cf.  Mark  3  :  1-6.  The  man  with  a  lively  sense  of  Jesus' 
kindness  to  him,  and  of  the  greatness  of  the  deed,  waives  the  argument 
of  the  Pharisees,  and  declares  that  Jesus  is  a  prophet  (vs.  17).  Which 
reasoning  is  right  ?  Vs.  34,  "  and  they  cast  him  out  "  :  i.  e.,  out  of  the 
synagogue  {cf.  vs.  22),  or,  in  modern  phrase,  excluded  him  from  the 
church,  excommunicated  him.  What  was  involved  in  it  is  suggested  by 
Matt.  18:  17. 

Vs.  35,  "  dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God  ?  ":  The  margin  "  Son 
of   man"  is  probably  the  true  reading,  in  which  case  Jesus  asks,  in 


1 84  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

effect,  "dost  thou  believe  in  me?"  But  the  man,  being  unacquainted 
with  this  self-designation  of  Jesus,  supposes  him  to  be  speaking  of  a 
third  person.  As  soon  as  he  learns  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  question  he 
at  once  expresses  his  faith  in  Jesus.  Thus  here  as  elsewhere,  what 
Jesus  seeks  to  gain  at  first  is  not  an  acknowledgment  of  any  proposi- 
tion concerning  him,  as  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  or  Son  of  God,  but 
trust  in  him  personally.  Definitions  come  later.  Vs.  41,  "if  ye  were 
blind":  /.  ^.,  real  inability  to  perceive  truth  would  leave  you  with- 
out sin,  because  without  responsibility.  But  the  possession  of  power 
to  perceive,  expressed  in  their  assertion  that  they  saw,  but  which  they 
did  not  really  use,  condemns  them. 

^221.  Notes  on  §91,  John  10: 1-21. —  This  discourse  of  Jesus  on 
the  Good  Shepherd  falls  into  three  parts  :  (i)  the  marks  of  the 
shepherd  in  general,  as  distinguished  from  the  thief  and  the  robber,  vss. 
i'-6  ;  (2)  Jesus  the  door  of  the  fold,  vss.  7-9  (though  vs.  8  anticipates 
the  theme  of  the  third  part,  and  is  perhaps  out  of  its  original  place)  ; 
(3)  Jesus  the  Good  Shepherd,  vss.  10-18.  The  theme  is  resumed  also 
in  vss.  24—29. 

Vss.  1-6;  contrasting  the  shepherd  and  the  robber  in  general, 
emphasize  especially  the  fact  that  the  shepherd  enters  by  the  door,  the 
porter  opening  to  him  voluntarily,  and  the  sheep  following  of  their 
own  accord,  because  they  recognize  his  voice.  The  robber,  on  the  other 
hand,  comes  in  by  stealth  or  force.  In  the  interpretation  of  the  figure 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  shepherd  is  the  type  of  the  king  (Jer. 
23  :  1-4  ;  Ezek.  34  :  1-15  ;  Mic.  5  :  5),  and  of  the  messianic  king  in 
particular.  And  while  Jesus  does  not  in  this  paragraph  specifically 
name  himself,  he  is  undoubtedly  thinking  of  himself  as  the  shepherd, 
in  contrast  with  all  who  had  sought  to  establish  their  kingdom  by 
force — a  thing  which  was  more  or  less  true  of  many,  if  not  all,  past 
kings  of  Israel  {cf.  again  Jer.  23  :  1-4  ;  Ezek.  34  :  1-5  ;  and  on  vs.  8 
below),  and  especially  of  the  false  Messiahs  of  his  own  day.  His  rule 
on  the  other  hand,  was  not  one  of  force,  but  of  love  ;  he  enters  the 
fold  by  the  door,  the  porter  admitting  him,  and  his  own  sheep  gladly 
following  him.  By  this  he  is  shown  to  be  the  true  shepherd,  the  true 
Messiah  of  the  people.  A  messiahship  of  force  and  violence  is  by  that 
very  fact  a  false  messiahship.  And  yet  it  was  because  he  came  not 
thus,  but  in  meekness  and  gentleness,  that  the  leaders  of  the  people 
rejected  him. 

Vss.  7,  9  constitute  parenthetically  a  distinct  parable  from  1-6, 
making  a  different  use  of  the  illustration  of  the  sheepfold,  and  applying 


1 86  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

it  specifically  to  Jesus.  He  is  now  presented  as  the  door  through 
which  the  sheep  (not  the  shepherd  particularly)  enter  in.  The  two 
uses  of  the  illustration  must  not  be  confused  or  combined. 

Vs.  8  is  probably  to  be  understood  as  a  general  characterization  of 
the  kings  of  former  times,  all  of  whom  in  greater  or  less  degree  ruled 
the  people  for  their  own  profit  or  pleasure,  rather  than  solely  for  the 
good  of  the  people.  Jesus  is  the  first  true  shepherd  of  the  people.  On 
the  connection  of  this  verse  see  above. 

Vss.  10-18,  returning  to  the  use  of  the  figure  in  vss.  1-5,  present 
Jesus  specifically  as  the  good  shepherd,  in  contrast  with  the  thief  and  the 
mere  hireling,  emphasizing  his  voluntary  surrender  of  his  life  for  his 
sheep.  In  this  he  is  the  exact  opposite  of  the  kings  who  preceded  him. 
Cf.  Mark  10  :  45.  Vs.  16  contains  one  of  the  few  instances  in  which 
Jesus  refers  to  his  work  as  extending  beyond  the  nation  of  Israel.  Yet 
cf.  John  12  :  20-24;  Matt.  13  :  38;  and  ^[178.  The  whole  section  is 
a  most  impressive  presentation  of  Jesus'  conception  o^  his  messiahship, 
but  without  once  using  the  word  "  Messiah." 

On  the  charge  "  he  hath  a  demon,"  vs.  19,  cf.  §  55,  Mark  3:22,  and 
parallels. 

T[  222.  Notes  on  §  92,  John  10  :  22-42. — Vs.  22,  "  the  Feast  of  Dedi- 
cation "  :  not  one  of  the  most  ancient  of  the  Jewish  feasts,  but  instituted 
by  Judas  Maccabeus  in  164  B.  C.  in  celebration  of  the  re-devotion  of  the 
temple  to  the  worship  of  Jehovah  after  Antiochus  Epiphanes  had  pol- 
luted it  by  heathen  sacrifices.  "  It  was  winter  "  :  The  feast  began  on 
the  twenty-fifth  of  the  month  Chislev  (November-December).  Vs.  23, 
"  Solomon's  porch":  the  colonnade  on  the  east  side  of  the  temple. 
See  ^[75.  Vs.  25,  "Jesus  answered  them,  I  told  you,  and  ye  believe 
not "  :  There  is  no  record  in  this  gospel  that  Jesus  had  plainly  said  to 
the  Jews,  "  I  am  the  Messiah,"  and  the  synoptists  imply  that  he  had 
not  done  so  (Mark  8  :  30  ;  9:9).  The  meaning  of  Jesus  is  doubtless 
that  which  the  next  clause  suggests,  that  his  deeds  have  furnished  them 
the  evidence,  if  they  would  honestly  interpret  it  for  themselves.  Cf. 
Matt.  16  :  3  and  T[  181.  It  was  Jesus'  aim  always  to  show  men  what 
he  was  by  his  life,  rather  than  to  tell  them  in  words  who  he  was. 
Mere  names  would  be  of  little  significance  unless  they  stood  for  right 
conceptions.  Vs.  25,  "  in  my  Father's  name  ":  through  fellowship  with 
him  and  with  acknowledgment  that  they  are  done  by  his  power  (John 
5  :  19  ff.;  6  :  38;  8  ;  16).  Vs.  26,  "ye  believe  not,  because  ye  are  not  of 
my  sheep  "  :  you  have  not  that  moral  sympathy  and  affinity  with  me 
which  would  lead  you  to  hear  and  accept  my  words  {cf.  vss.  4,  5,  27)  ; 


CHRIST   AT    THE    FEAST    OF    DEDICATION  1 87 

this  is  the  reiterated  thought  of  this  chapter  :  the  shepherd  draws  to 
himself  his  own.  Cf.  also  John  6  :  44.  Vs.  28,  "  and  I  give  unto  them 
eternal  life"  :  carrying  the  shepherd-care,  so  to  speak,  to  its  highest 
power,  not  only  protecting  them  against  such  ills  as  robbers  and  wild 
beasts,  but  securing  them  a  perpetuity  of  blessed  life,  even  beyond 
death  {cf^  John  6  :  40,  47-51).  "  No  one  shall  snatch  them  out  of  my 
hand  ":  Cf.  the  last  clause  of  the  next  verse  ;  all  God's  resources  defend 
those  who  follow  Jesus  as  their  shepherd.  "  I  and  the  Father  are  one  "  : 
one  in  purpose  and  power,  so  that  to  be  in  Jesus'  care  is  to  be  in  the 
Father's  also.  Vs.  ji,  "the  Jews  took  up  stones  to  stone  him  ":  Cf. 
vs.  33  ;  John  5:18;  Lev.  24  :  16.  The  argument  of  Jesus  in  vss.  32—38 
is  this :  He  asks  for  what  work  they  are  about  to  stone  him  ;  they 
answer  :  Not  for  works,  but  for  words.  Thou  makest  thyself  God. 
Jesus  replies :  But  my  words  are  not  blasphemous.  Even  men  to 
whom  the  word  of  God  came  are  in  the  Old  Testament  called  gods 
(Ps.  82  :  6)  ;  while  I,  the  Father's  special  messenger  to  the  world,  but 
called  myself  Son  of  God.  iVnd  if  in  fact  my  title.  Son  of  God,  is  to 
be  taken  in  a  sense  which  makes  it  higher  than  their  name  "  gods,"  it 
is  because  my  works  shows  that  it  bears  this  higher  sense.  Will  you 
stone  me  for  what  my  works  prove  ?  Thus  here,  as  constantly,  Jesus 
drives  them  back  from  words  and  names  to  facts.  They  demand  that 
he  give  himself  some  name  and  title,  and  they  stand  ready  to  call  it  blas- 
phemy. He  says  :  Look  at  my  works;  they  are  my  claim  ;  believe 
about  me  what  they  prove. 

Vs.  40,  **  beyond  Jordan  into  the  place  where  John  at  first  bap- 
tized" :  the  reference  is  probably  to  Bethany  beyond  Jordan  (John 
1:28;  cf.\  65),  the  first  place  mentioned  in  this  gospel  as  the  scene  of 
John's  work.  Notice  the  incidental  testimony  of  this  gospel,  in  agree- 
ment with  Matthew  and  Mark,  that  Jesus  spent  part  of  this  period  east 
of  the  Jordan. 

^223.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study,  (i)  Into  what 
parts  may  the  story  of  the  healing  of  the  man  born  blind  be 
divided?  (2)*  What  does  Jesus  imply  in  his  answer  to  the  dis- 
ciples* question  concerning  the  relation  of  sin  and  suffering? 
(3)*  With  what  feelings  ought  we  to  regard  the  exceptionally^ 
unfortunate  or  suffering?  (4)  How  ought  we  to  look  upon 
our  own  sufferings?  (s)*  Where  is  the  Pool  of  Siloam  ?  (6)* 
Describe  and    characterize   the  conduct   of    the    Pharisees  with 


l88  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

reference  to  the  healed  man  and  to  Jesus.  (7)  The  conduct  of  the 
parents.  (8)*  The  conduct  of  the  man  himself.  (9)  Explain  Jesus' 
question  in  vs.  35,  and  the  meaning  of  the  man's  answer.  (10)* 
What  was  Jesus*  general  method  in  leading  men  to  believe  in  him? 

(11)  Into  what  three  parts  is  the  section  on  the  Good  Shep- 
herd (John  10:  1-18)  to  be  divided?  (12)*  What  is  the  main 
thought  of  the  first  part?  (13)*  Of  the  second  part  ?  (14)*  Of  the 
third  ?  (15)*  What  conception  of  messiahship  does  the  whole  dis- 
course present?  (16)  In  what  passage  in  Mark  does  Jesus  pre- 
sent the  same  thought  ?      (17)  To  what  does  Jesus  refer  in  vs.  16? 

(18)  When  was  the  Feast  of  Dedication  held  ?  (19)  What 
was  Solomon's  porch  and  where  was  it?  (20)*  What  is  the 
meaning  of  Jesus'  answer  to  the  demand  of  the  Jews  for  a  defi- 
nite statement  whether  he  was  the  Christ  ?  (21)  Explain  the 
argument  of  vss.  32-38.  (22)  To  what  place  did  Jesus  retire 
after  this  conversation  ? 

^224.  Constructive  Work.  — Write  out  chap,  xxii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  following  the  outline  of  sections,  but  bringing  out  clearly  the 
attitude  of  the  Jews  toward  Jesus  in  the  matter  of  his  healing  of  the 
blind  man,  and  the  bearing  of  the  words  of  Jesus  concerning  himself  as 
the  Shepherd  on  the  question  the  Jews  were  continually  asking,  viz., 
whether  he  was  the  Messiah. 

^225.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  references  in  the  fourth  gospel  to  localities  in  and  about 
Jerusalem. 

2.  The  feasts  of  the  Jews  referred  to  in  the  fourth  gospel. 

3.  Jesus'  conception  of  suffering  as  related  to  messiahship. 

4.  The  general  Jewish  thought  about  the  relation  of  suffering  and  sin. 


JISR  MEJAMIA. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA. 

§93.  Discourse  on  prayer.  Luke  11:1-13. 

§94.  Woes  against  the  Pharisees  uttered  at  a  Pharisee's  table. 

Luke  II  :  37-54- 

§95.  Warnings  against  the  spirit  of  Pharisaism. 

Luke,  chap.   12. 

§96.  The  Galileans  slain  by  Pilate.  Luke  13:1-9. 

§97.  The  woman  healed  on  a  sabbath.  Luke  13:10-21. 

§98.  The  question  whether  few  are  saved.  Luke  13:22-30. 

§99.  Reply  to  warning  against  Herod.  Luke  13:31-35. 

^226.  Notes  on  §93,  Luke  11:1-13. — This  section  falls  into  two 
divisions:  (i)  the  Lord's  prayer;  (2)  arguments  for  answers  to  prayer 
drawn  from  human  experience.  Vs.  i.  The  exact  time  and  place  we 
cannot  fix.  Notice  that  the  request  is  suggested  by  two  facts,  the  (often 
repeated)  example  of  Jesus  and  the  instruction  of  John,  formerly  the 
teacher  of  some  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus.  It  was  the  habit  of  rabbis  to 
teach  prayers  to  their  followers.  What  sort  of  prayer  John  taught  his 
disciples  we  do  not  know.  Vs.  2,  "when  ye  pray":  These  words  do 
not  mean  that  one  should  always  use  the  following  phrases,  but  that  one 
should  pray  in  the  same  spirit  and  for  the  same  class  of  things.  What 
these  permissible  objects  of  prayer  are  may  be  seen  by  an  analysis  of 
the  prayer.  They  are  :  (i)  a  universal  recognition  of  God's  presence  and 
character ;  (2)  the  establishment  of  fraternal  human  relations  through 
the  better  relations  of  men  to  God ;  (3)  the  satisfaction  of  legitimate 
physical  needs ;  (4)  personal  fellowship  with  God  through  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins ;  (5)  protection  from  temptation.  In  other  sayings  Jesus 
makes  God's  forgiveness  depend  upon  one's  own  willingness  to  forgive 
(Matt.  6  :  14,  15).  Notice  that  although  these  petitions  cover  so  much  of 
the  interests  of  one's  life,  they  are  all  morally  right,  and  none  of  them 
**  tempts  "  God  {cf.  Matt.  4  :  7).  Vs.  5  introduces  the  first  of  two  a  fortiori 
arguments  in  favor  of  prayer.  The  first  is  drawn  from  the  ordinary 
experiences  of  neighbors.  The  transition  is  in  vs.  9.  If  a  selfish,  lazy 
neighbor  will  yield  to  repeated  requests,  how  much  more  may  a  generous 
heavenly  Father  be  expected  to  regard  prayer  ?  Therefore  one  should 
feel  courage  to  ask  him  for  the  things  one  needs.     Vs.  11  introduces 

189 


I  go 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


the  second  a  fortiori  argument.  It  is  drawn  from  the  impulses  of 
human  fathers.  They  cannot  mock  their  children.  (The  stone,  etc., 
resembled  somewhat  the  loaf  of  bread,  etc.)  How  much  more  may  the 
heavenly  Father  be  trusted  not  to  mock  those  who  ask  for  the   Holy 


RUINS    OF    A    SYNAGOGUE    AT    KEFR    BIRTINI 

Spirit,  or,  as  Matt.  7:11  says,  ''good  things"  ?  Notice  how  Jesus  thus 
suggests  that  we  niay  come  to  appreciate  the  moral  nature  of  God  by 
a  study  of  the  best  impulses  of  men. 

^227.  Notes  on  §  94,  Luke  11  :  37-54. — Vs.  37,  "  a  Pharisee  asked 
him  to  dine"  :  Apparently  this  was  before  the  break  between  Jesus  and 
the  religious  leaders.  Vs.  38,  "  had  not  first  washed  "  :  /.  e.,  ceremo- 
nially cleansed  himself;  cf.  Matt.  15  :  i  ff.    Vs.  41,  "give  for  alms  those 


DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA  I9I 

things  which  are  within":  /.  ^.,  within  the  dishes,  or  that  personal 
sympathy  and  love  that  is  within  one's  self.  By  this  saying  Jesus  sub- 
stitutes philanthropy  for  the  ceremonial  purification  of  vessels.  To 
possess  the  spirit  of  sacrificing  love  is  better  than  to  observe  all  religious 
regulations,  no  matter  how  punctiliously.  Vs.  42  introduces  the  first 
of  a  series  of  severe  criticisms  upon  Pharisaism,  While  rightfully 
appl}'ing  the  Jewish  law  of  tithing,  the  Pharisees  had  allowed  a  regard 
for  insignificant  prescriptions  to  blind  them  to  the  moral  fundamentals 
of  the  law.  Very  conscientious  people  are  always  liable  to  such  mis- 
takes. Vs.  44,  "toAbs  which  appear  not,"  etc.:  There  was  nothing 
more  ceremonially  defiling  than  a  corpse.  By  his  comparison  Jesus 
implies  that  the  teaching  of  the  Pharisees  was  likely  to  injure  people 
without  their  being  aware  of  it.  Vs.  45,  "  lawyers  ":  professional  inter- 
preters of  the  Jewish  law;  in  this  case  perhaps  not  of  the  society  of 
the  Pharisees.  Vs.  46 ;  cf.  Acts  15:  10.  That  for  which  Jesus  censures 
the  lawyers  is  the  besetting  sin  of  all  legalists  in  religion.  Vss,  47,  48. 
Killing  the  prophets  and  building  tombs  for  them  is  a  division  of 
labor !  The  words  are  sarcastic.  If  the  Pharisees  had  really  been  seek- 
ing to  honor  the  prophets,  they  would  have  observed  their  insistence 
upon  the  inner  life  and  justice  and  mercy,  rather  than  forms.  Vs. 
49,  "wisdom  of  God"  :  perhaps  referring  to  some  lost  book;  perhaps 
equivalent  to  "  God  in  his  wisdom  ;  perhaps  the  evangelist's  own  term 
for  Christ,  substituted  for  "I"  in  the  saying  as  given  by  Matt.  23  :  34, 
just  as  "Lord"  is  used  by  him  in  vs.  39  {cf.  i  Cor.  i  :  24,  30,  where 
the  term  is  used  of  Jesus).  Vs.  53.  This  stratagem  of  his  enemies  was 
probably  suggested  by  the  severity  of  his  language,  but  Jesus  was  not 
to  be  excited  into  foolish  or  treasonable  sayings. 

^228.  Notes  on  §95,  Luke,  chap.  12. — The  collection  of  sayings 
of  Jesus  contained  in  this  chapter  consists  of  warnings  against  devotion 
to  self-preservation  and  the  pursuit  of  wealth  (vss.  1-2 1);  exhortations 
to  trust  the  heavenly  Father  under  all  circumstances  (vss.  22-34),  and 
to  be  active  and  faithful  in  the  service  of  the  kingdom  (vss.  35-48);  a 
forecast  of  the  struggles  resulting  from  a  devotion  to  the  principles  of 
the  kingdom  of  God  (vss.  49-53),  Vss.  i,  2  are  evidently  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  attack  just  made  by  Jesus  upon  the  pretensions  and 
vanity  of  the  Pharisees.  He  urges  his  disciples  to  beware  of  the 
insidious  influence  of  their  hypocritical  spirit,  to  be  sincere  and  cour- 
ageous in  their  preaching,  even  at  the  cost  of  life  itself.  Vs.  5,  "  Fear 
him":  /.  e.,  Satan,  though  many  commentators  make  it  refer  to  God. 
Vss.   6,    7   argue   the   wisdom  of  a   Christian's    trusting  the   limitless 


192  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

love  of  God.  Vss.  8-10  teach  the  vast  importance  of  a  man's  atti- 
tude toward  Jesus,  but  most  of  all  toward  the  Holy  Spirit.  See  ^  140. 
Vss.  13-21  contain  an  epitome  of  Jesus'  estimate  as  to  the  relative 
worth  of  wealth.  Notice  that  here  as  elsewhere  Jesus  refuses  to  usurp 
the  place  of  a  court  of  law.  His  warning  is  not  against  wealth  in  itself, 
but  against  the  avaricious  and  materialistic  spirit  that  makes  wealth 
the  greatest  object  of  ambition.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
story  of  the  "rich  fool  "  is  a  parable,  not  actual  history.  Vss.  22-34 
continue  the  teaching  as  to  the  relative  worth  of  wealth  and  the  virtues 
that  should  characterize  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Above  all 
should  the  disciple  of  Jesus  trust  his  heavenly  Father  enough  to  do  that 
which  is  right  in  business.  If  any  teaching  of  Jesus  is  beyond  misunder- 
standing, it  is  that  success  in  business  or  in  any  other  department  of  life 
is  to  be  sacrificed  when  it  is  seen  to  involve  selfishness  or  dishonesty. 
Even  if  one  die  in  doing  right,  Jesus  would  teach  that  he  should  see 
that  death  itself  is  the  Father's  gift.  Vss.  35-40  express  teaching  as 
to  vigilance  in  terms  of  parables  based  on  oriental  customs.  Notice  in 
particular  that  service  is  the  form  taken  by  the  master's  reward.  Vs.  41 
suggests  something  of  the  same  desire  for  special  privilege*  shown  at 
other  times  by  the  disciples  {cf.  John  21:21;  Luke  9  :  46  ;  Matt.  18:1; 
Mark  10  :  35  ff.;  10  :  28).  The  reply  of  Jesus  teaches  (i)  that  faithful 
performance  of  duty  is  a  guarantee  of  reward,  and  (2)  that  punishment 
for  neglect  of  duty  is  not  averted  but  mitigated  by  ignorance.  The 
justice  of  this  teaching  is  seen  from  the  point  of  view  both  of  the  ser- 
vant and  of  the  master.  For  a  servant  is  under  obligation  to  know  his 
master's  will.  Known  duty  is  not  the  measure  of  obligation.  Ignorance 
may  excuse  a  failure  to  serve,  but  what  shall  excuse  ignorance  ?  Note 
especially  the  great  principle  enunciated  in  vs.  48. 

Vss.  49,  50.  In  these  verses  we  have  a  striking  revelation  of  the 
self-consciousness  of  Jesus.  "  I  came  to  cast  fire  "  :  a  reference  to  the 
suffering  a  devotion  to  his  teaching  might  cause.  "I  have  a  baptism," 
etc.:  Jesus  seems  always,  but  especially  after  his  break  with  the  Phari- 
sees, to  have  lived  in  full  consciousness  of  his  approaching  death. 
Vss.  51-53.  Nothing  is  more  characteristic  of  Jesus  than  his  clear 
perception  of  realities,  and  he  could  not  fail  to  see  that  devotion  to 
himself  must  often  result  in  the  severing  of  family  ties.  (Cf.  Matt. 
10:37;   19:  29.) 

Vss.  54-59.  In  these  verses  Jesus  appeals  to  men  to  use  the  same 
insight  in  regard  to  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  own  teaching  that 
they  are  accustomed  to  use  in   forecasting  the  weather  or  in  avoiding 


DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA  I93 

lawsuits.  In  particular,  vss.  57-59  are  a  plea  for  the  reasonableness  of 
his  teaching  of  love  and  reconciliation  in  the  light  of  experience  in 
oriental  courts.  There  is  still  need  of  this  very  argument  to  convince 
men  that  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  reasonable. 

•[[229.  Notes  on  §96,  Luke  13:1-9. —  Vss.  1-5  refer  to  two  inci- 
dents from  which  Jesus  draws  the  same  teaching :  exceptional  suffer- 
ing is  no  proof  of  exceptional  sinfulness.  Here,  as  in  John  9 :  2,  3, 
Jesus  distinctly  opposes  the  opinion,  current  in  his  time  (and  in  ours 
as  well),  that  sickness  and  misfortune  are  to  be  traced  directly  to  an 
individual's  sin.  His  position  is  rather  that  all  men  need  to  repent 
from  a  sinfulness  that  is  something  more  than  a  delusion,  and  that  the 
peculiar  suffering  of  any  particular  man  must  be  referred  to  the  natural 
(but  providential)  order  of  affairs.  It  is  not  possible  to  discover  any 
further  information  about  the  slaughter  of  the  Galileans  or  the  acci- 
dent at  Siloam.  The  latter  may  possibly  have  some  connection  with 
the  aqueduct  built  by  Pilate  from  funds  taken  from  the  temple  treas- 
ury (JosEPHUS,  y^w/i-^  JVar,  ii,  9,  4). 

Vss.  6-9  contain  a  parable  illustrating  the  longsuffering  of  God,  but 
his  inevitable  punishment  of  a  nation  that  does  not  meet  its  responsi- 
bilities. 

^230.  Notes  on  §97,  Luke  13  :  10-21. — Vs.  11,  "a  spirit  of  infirmity": 
a  reflection  of  the  Jewish  belief  that  disease  was  to  be  referred  to 
demons.  Vss.  14-16  contain  another  of  the  unanswerable  arguments 
of  Jesus  against  the  pharisaic  observance  of  the  sabbath.  He  does  not 
attack  it  as  an  institution,  but  shows  that  it  is  a  day  which  no  act  of 
mercy  can  desecrate.     On  vss.  18-21  see  ^  144. 

^231.  Notes  on  §98,  Luke  13:22-30. —  The  question  as  to  how 
many  should  be  saved,  /.  ^.,  join  the  messianic  kingdom,  receives  from 
Jesus  an  answer  involving:  (i)  the  statement  that,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
few  were  seeking  to  enter  the  kingdom  (vs  24) ;  (2)  the  exhortation 
to  seek  to  enter  the  kingdom  before  it  is  too  late  (vss.  24,  25) ;  (3)  the 
emphasis  of  the  fact  that  privilege  does  not  diminish  obligation  (vss. 
26,27);  and  (4)  the  prophecy  that,  to  their  fearful  disappointment, 
the  Jews  would  not  possess  the  kingdom  which  they  supposed  would 
be  theirs  (vss.  28-30).  The  figure  is  that  of  a  great  feast  held  within 
a  house,  entrance  to  which  is  dependent  upon  a  genuine  acquaintance 
with  the  host. 

^232.  Notes  on  §99,  Luke  13  :  31-35. — Vs.  31,  "  Herod  "  :  /.  <r.,  the 
tetrarch.  This  conversation  therefore  must  have  taken  place  either 
in  Galilee  or   Perea.     "Would   fain    kill   thee":   We  have   no   other 


194  LiFE    OF    CHRIST 

information  to  this  effect,  but  rather  to  the  contrary  (Luke  23:8).  At 
the  same  time,  Herod  might  very  well  have  thought  of  Jesus  as  a 
dangerous  successor  of  John  the  Baptist.  The  words  of  the  Pharisees, 
whether  a  part  of  a  plot  or  not,  were  calculated  to  induce  Jesus  to  leave 
the  tetrarchy  of  Herod,  and  to  go  into  Judea  where  the  hierarchy  had 
more  power  and  could  more  easily  arrest  him.  Jesus  saw  the  danger 
that  threatened  him,  and  refused  to  hasten  his  fate  by  leaving  work 
unfinished.  The  sadness  of  the  lament  over  Jerusalem  (vss.  34,  35)  is 
intensified  by  these  circumstances.  There  were  never  more  cutting 
words  than  the  last  clause  of  vs.  33.  The  one  fatal  place  for  the  mes- 
senger of  Jehovah  was  in  the  center  of  Jehovah-worship.  Outside  of 
Jerusalem  a  prophet  was  safe !  Notice  again  Jesus'  supreme  trust  in 
his  divine  mission.  Incidentally  (vs.  34,  "how  many  times,"  etc.)  we 
have  a  hint  of  visits  made  by  Jesus  to  Jerusalem — a  fact  mentioned 
only  by  the  fourth  gospel. 

^  233.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  In  studying  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  one  should  first  of  all  distinguish  between  the 
form  of  a  saying  (which  is  often  that  of  Hebrew  poetry)  and  its 
real  content.  On  the  study  of  parables  see  ^146.  Many  fool- 
ish interpretations  have  sprung  from  giving  too  much  prominence 
to  single  words  and  figures  of  speech. 

(i)*  What  are  the  chief  classes  of  things  for  which  Jesus 
taught  his  disciples  to  pray?  (2)*  What  arguments  does  Jesus 
use  to  prove  that  one  may  believe  God  will  answer  prayer  ?  (3) 
What  elements  in  man's  nature  do  we  believe  must  in  some  way- 
resemble  elements  in  God's  nature?  (4)  How,  then,  may  we 
grow  more  like  God  ?      (See  Matt.  5  :  43-48.) 

(5)*  What  were  the  circumstances  under  which  Jesus  accused 
the  Pharisees  of  hypocrisy?  (6)*  What  was  the  most  serious 
charge  he  brought  against  them?  (7)  Are  Christian  people 
ever  guilty  of  the  same  error  ?  (8)  How  does  a  man  who  per- 
verts religion  injure  others?  (9)*  What  did  Jesus  say  about 
the  lawyers?  (10)  Are  educated  people  today  liable  to  the 
same  charge?  (11)  If  so,  how  would  Jesus  say  they  could 
avoid  it?      (See  John  3  :  3-6.) 

(12)*  What  illustrations  does  Jesus  use  to  show  the  all- 
embracing  love  of  God?     (13)*  What  is  it  "to  confess"  Jesus? 


DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA 


195 


(14)*  What  does  Jesus  teach  in  Luke  12:  13-34  about  getting 
rich?  (15)*  What  about  the  responsibility  of  Christians? 
(16)*  Did  Jesus  expect  that  all  of  his  followers  would  escape 
suffering?  (17)*  What  appeals  does  he  make  to  ordinary  fore- 
sight to  induce  men  to  follow  his  teaching?  (18)  Are  these 
teachings  of  Jesus  capable  of  being  put  into  operation  today  ? 

(19)*  What  does  Jesus  teach  about  the  relation  of  suffering 
and  sin?  (20)*  What  about  God's  attitude  toward  a  nation 
that  is  not  living  up  to  its  privileges  and  responsibilities  ? 

(21)*  What  is  Jesus'  position  as  to  doing  good  on  the  sab- 
bath? (22)  What  was  that  of  the  Pharisees?  (23)*  Describe 
the  figure  Jesus  uses  in  Luke  13:22-30  to  set  forth  the  condi- 
tions of  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  (24)  What  is  the 
great  prerequisite?  (See  vss.  25-27.)  (25)*  Who  does  Jesus 
predict  will  enter  the  kingdom  ? 

(26)*  What  danger  would  have  theatened  Jesus  if  he  had 
fled  from  Herod?  (27)*  What  evidence  have  we  that  Jesus 
forecast  the  future  accurately?  (28)*  Why  did  Jerusalem  kill 
the  prophets  ? 

^234.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxiii  of  your  "Life  of  Christ," 
noting  especially  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  (i)  prayer,  (2)  wealth,  (3) 
loyal  vigilance,  (4)  self-sacrifice,  (5)  trust  in  the  fatherliness  of  God. 

^235.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  great  dinners  of  the  Jews. 

2.  A  comparison  of  the  passages  from  Luke  used  in  this  chapter 
with  their  parallels  in  Matthew  and  Mark. 

The  footnotes  of  Stevens  and  Burton's  Harmony  will  make  this  easy. 

3.  Customs  of  the  Arabs  in  connection  with  giving  feasts. 


"^B 

^^^^ 

-^<>^j«^ 

^: 

YARMUK  VALLEY  LOOKING  WEST 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA    (CONTINUED). 
§100.  Discourse  at  a  chief  Pharisee's  table.         Luke  14:1-24. 
§101.  Discourse  on  counting  the  cost.  Luke  14:25-35. 

§  102.  Three  parables  of  grace.  Luke,  chap.  15. 

§  103.  Two  parables  of  warning.  Luke,  chap.  16. 

§104.  Concerning  forgiveness  and  faith.  Luke  17:1-10. 

^236.  Notes  on  §100,  Luke  14:1-24. — Vs.  i.  It  is  impossible  to 
say  just  when  this  incident  occurred,  but  it  must  have  been  before 
Jesus  had  completely  broken  with  the  heirarchy  and  scribes.  "  On  a 
sabbath  ":  The  Jews  often  feasted  on  the  sabbath,  "  Watching  him": 
probably  with  suspicion  as  well  as  curiosity.  Vs.  4.  The  Pharisees 
did  not  allow  unnecessary  healing  on  the  sabbath  ;  /.  e.,  of  those  cases 
which  could  safely  be  postponed  until  the  next  day.  Apparently  they 
were  ashamed  to  air  their  heartlessness,  or  too  morbidly  conscientious 
to  say  it  was  lawful  thus  to  break  the  sabbath.  Vs.  5.  Jesus  here 
makes  use  of  his  favorite  method  of  attack  upon  pharisaic  pedantry, 
the  appeal  to  the  exceptions  made  by  the  rabbis  themselves.  Cf.  Luke 
13  :  15.  Vss.  7-1 1  are  best  understood  by  a  reference  to  the  habits  of 
the  Jews  at  elaborate  feasts,  to  which  an  entire  village  might  be  invited. 
The  guests  were  assigned  seats  in  accordance  with  their  social  impor- 
tance, the  most  honored  being  within  the  house  on  the  raised  platform, 
and  the  others  being  given  places  in  the  house  and  the  court,  the 
beggars  and  the  dogs  disputing  over  the  fragments  in  the  streets. 
Unless  especially  conducted  by  the  host,  each  guest  would  take  his 
place  according  to  his  own  estimate  of  his  importance  in  the  social 
scale.  Jesus  uses  this  social  custom  as  an  illustration  of  the  advantages 
accruing  to  the  man  of  small  pretensions.  Vs.  11  states  the  moral 
principle  the  social  custom  illustrated.  Vss.  12-14  contain  advice  for 
hosts.  Here,  as  in  so  many  of  the  sayings  of  Jesus,  we  must  make 
allowance  for  the  form  of  the  statement.  Jesus  is  not  condemning 
family  meals  or  dinner  parties  composed  of  one's  friends,  but  is  rather 
teaching  that  hospitality  should  not  become  a  means  of  selfish  advance- 
ment and  should  be  extended  to  those  upon  whose  repayment  one 
cannot  count.  Vs.  14,  "the  resurrection  of  the  just":  /.  ^.,  in  the  com- 
pleted messianic  kingdom. 

196 


DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA  I97 

Vss.  15-24  contain  a  parable  suggested  by  the  complacent  remark 
of  vs.  15.  Jesus  apparently  saw  that  the  speaker  judged  that  the  Jews 
would  unquestionably  have  a  share  in  the  "great  feast"  of  the  king- 
dom. The  parable  was  intended  to  show  that  no  people  had  a 
monopoly  of  the  divine  favor.  On  the  general  principle  of  interpret- 
ing the  parable  see  %  146.  It  is  customary  among  the  Arabs  to  send 
out  two  invitations  to  a  great  feast,  one  several  days  before  the  event 
and  one  on  the  morning  of  the  appointed  day.  If  the  guest  disregards 
the  second  invitation,  it  is  interpreted  as  a  deadly  insult.  The  excuses 
pleaded  in  the  parabJe  would  not  be  accepted  as  sufficient.  The  elements 
of  the  parable  are  easily  identified  :  the  feast  is  the  kingdom  and  the 
host  is  God;  "those  that  were  bidden"  are  the  Jews;  those  in  the 
streets,  the  despised  people;  those  out  in  the  lanes  and  hedges,  the 
even  more  despised  gentiles.  The  teaching,  therefore,  is  clear :  the 
religious  party  of  the  Jews  who  would  naturally  have  been  expected  to 
enter  the  kingdom  had  despised  it,  and  their  places  were  to  be  filled 
by  the  despised  masses  and  the  gentiles.  The  lesson  is  as  much 
needed  today  as  in  the  time  of  Jesus. 

^237.  Notes  on  §101,  Luke  14:25-35. — The  illustrations  of  Jesus 
here  contained  were  intended  to  prevent  the  multitudes  from  taking 
him  as  the  Christ  of  their  mistaken  hopes.  As  such  he  would  have  been 
expected  to  give  them  only  pleasures.  The  kingdom  of  God,  Jesus 
tries  to  get  them  to  see,  involved  sacrifice,  and  no  man  should  under- 
take to  join  it  unless  he  was  ready  to  endure  suffering.  His  words, 
therefore,  are  a  plea  for  calm  forethought  on  the  part  of  any  person 
who  is  considering  really  becoming  his  disciple. 

^238.  Notes  on  102,  Luke,  chap.  15. — The  three  parables  con- 
tained in  this  chapter  have  one  teaching  in  common  :  God  rejoices  at 
the  repentance  of  any  man,  be  he  never  so  humble  or  depraved.  The 
occasion  of  the  teaching  is  given  by  Luke  in  vss.  1,2.  To  appreciate 
the  attitude  of  the  Pharisees,  see  John  7  :  49.  The  elements  to  be 
noted  in  each  parable  are:  (i)  something  apparently  of  little  value  is 
lost,  (2)  is  found,  and  (3)  its  recovery  is  a  source  of  joy.  Vss.  3-7. 
Note  the  comparatively  little  worth  of  one  sheep  in  a  flock  of  a  hundred, 
the  effort  made  for  its  recovery,  the  celebration  at  its  rescue,  and  the 
analogy  drawn  by  Jesus.  Vss.  8-10.  Note  the  same  points  as  regards 
the  coin.  This  parable  becomes  a  little  more  intelligible  when  one 
recalls  the  windowless  houses  of  the  masses  in  Christ's  time,  and  the 
habit  of  poor  women  to  wear  their  little  fortunes  strung  about  their 
necks.     Vss.  1 1-32  contain  perhaps  the  most  perfect  parable  spoken 


198 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


by  Jesus.  But  it  is  a  parable,  and  is  not  to  be  treated  in  any  other 
way  than  the  other  two.  It,  like  them,  is  concerned  with  the  joy 
caused  by  the  recovery  of  that  which  has  been  lost.  It  cannot  be 
safely  used  to  illustrate  more  than  the  same  inestimable  teaching  as  to 
God  already  given  in  vss.  7  and    10.     But,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  far 

more  eloquent  than  either  of  the  other 
two  parables.  It  is  a  son  that  was  lost, 
a  father  that  rejoiced.  Vs.  12,  "give 
me  the  substance,"  etc.:  It  was  custom- 
ary for  an  aging  father  to  divide  his 
property  among  his  sons  before  his 
death.  The  younger  son  was,  there- 
fore, asking  only  that  the  act  be  antici- 
pated in  his  case.  He  would  have 
received  one  third  of  the  estate.  Vs.  16, 
"husks"  :  the  horn-shaped  pods  of  the 
carob  tree.  That  he  should  come  to  this 
calling  and  this  food  shows  the  depth 
of  the  son's  misery.  Vs.  17,  "came  to 
himself":  The  father  could  not  find 
I   Ml      lllflll''  h^ixn,  for  he  was  lost,  but  the  son,  unlike 

1      wil    ll''  ^^^  sheep  or   coin,  could   find  himself. 

'*'  Note   the  consistency   of    the  portrait: 

the  very  physical  craving  that  had  led 
him  through  extravagance  into  misery 
now  leads  him  toward  home.  Vs.  20.  The  father's  impulsive  for- 
giveness and  (vs.  23)  joy  mark  the  culmination  of  the  parable.  Vss. 
25-32,  with  their  striking  portrait  of  a  selfish,  Pharisee-like  man's 
inability  to  think  of  anyone  but  himself  or  see  anything  but  the  dark 
past  of  his  brother,  only  made  the  father's  love  and  gladness  over  the 
recovered  son  the  more  attractive.     And  God  loves  like  the  father. 

^[239.  Notes  on  §103,  Luke,  chap.  16. —  Both  of  the  parables  in 
this  passage  are  concerned  with  the  right  use  of  wealth  {cf.  especially 
vs.  14).  The  "parable  of  the  unjust  steward"  enforces  the  power  of 
wealth  to  make  friends.  The  illustration  chosen  is  that  of  the  agent 
of  a  landed  proprietor  who  is  about  to  be  discharged  for  dishonest 
practices.  Vs.  6,  "hundred  measures"  (or  baths) :  perhaps  875  gallons, 
worth  $50.  "Thy  bond,"  probably  .better  "lease":  in  which  the 
amount  stipulated  was  evidently  paid  in  kind.  Vs.  7,  "hundred 
measures"  (or  cors) :  about  1,000  bushels.     By  thus  reducing  the  rent 


AN  ORIENTAL  SALUTATION 
[Neil,  Pictured  Palestine'^ 


DISCOURSES    IN    PEREA  199 

the  agent  was  naturally  recognized  as  having  a  share  in  the  gain 
accruing  to  the  tenant  (vs.  4).  Vs.  8,  "his  lord  commended  the  unjust 
steward"  :  In  the  original  "his"  is  "the,"  and  it  is  held  by  some  that 
"lord  "  refers  to  Jesus.  In  any  case  the  commendation  does  not  make 
the  man's  action  honest,  but  simply  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
agent  had  used  property  to  gain  friends.  Vs.  9.  This  power  Jesus 
says  should  be. used  by  his  disciples,  but  not  for  low,  selfish  ends 
("eternal  tabernacles")  or  by  dishonest  means.  The  last  point  is 
enforced  strongly  in  vss.  10-13,  in  which  Jesus,  by  way  of  correcting 
any  possible  misun4erstanding  of  his  illustration,  shows  that  the  use  of 
wealth  is  an  indication  of  character,  and  that  in  all  events  it  must  be 
so  used  that  by  its  aid  one  may  the  better  serve  God  (vs.  13).  Wealth 
like  prudence  (vs.  8)  is  to  be  at  the  service  of  the  king. 

Vss.  14-18  are  a  collection  of  sayings  of  Jesus  not  altogether  con- 
nected in  thought.  Note  the  contempt  shown  by  the  Pharisees  for  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  the  right  use  of  wealth,  and  his  terrible  accusa- 
tion of  wilful  hypocrisy  (vss.  14,  15).     On  vs.  16  see  ^  132. 

Vss.  19-31.  In  this  parable  Jesus  teaches  the  penalty  of  a  selfish 
use  of  wealth.  The  rich  man  has  not  the  prudence  of  the  dishonest 
agent,  for  he  does  not  use  his  wealth  to  make  friends  even  by  charity. 
The  parable  is  intended  to  set  forth  the  certain  punishment  of  such  a 
man,  but  its  details  are,  of  course  —  just  because  it  is  a  parable  —  not 
to  be  taken  literally.  Vs.  19  portrays  the  luxurious  selfishness  of  the 
rich  man,  and  vss.  20,  21,  the  miserable  beggary  of  Lazarus.  Vs.  23, 
"Hades"  :  generally  the  abode  of  the  dead.  At  this  point  begins  the 
use  of  current  Jewish  eschatological  terms.  Vs.  25  contains  one  of  the 
chief  elements  in  the  story,  vss.  27-31  its  application  to  the  people. 
The  teaching  is  clear  :  Moses  and  the  prophets  alike  taught  the  duty  of 
caring  for  the  poor.  If  the  Jews  did  not  follow  such  teachers,  their 
case  was  hopeless.  Nothing  could  lead  them  to  more  generous  action 
—  not  even  a  man  sent  back  from  death.  Thus  does  Jesus  answer  the 
scoffings  of  vs.  14.  Wealth  selfishly  used  brings  not  only  misery  in 
this  world  to  those  who  are  poor,  but  misery  in  the  next  to  its  owners. 

•i  240.  Notes  on  §104,  Luke  17  :  i-io. —  Jesus  here  insists  on  two 
great  elements  of  his  teaching  :  the  sin  of  making  the  moral  life  harder 
for  others  {cf.  Matt.  18:6,  7  ;  Mark  9  :  42)  and  the  duty  of  forgiveness. 
Vs.  3,  however,  makes  it  plain  that  Jesus  does  not  intend  that  the  most 
forgiving  person  shall  blind  himself  to  the  fact  of  sin.  Vs.  4.  The 
teaching  is  even  more  strongly  put  in  Matt.  18  :  21,  22.  In  vss.  5-10 
are    contra'^ted    two    opposing    conceptions    of    religion.      Vss.   5,  6 


200  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

set  forth  that  of  Jesus  himself,  faith  ;  and  vss.  7-10  that  of  the 
Pharisees,  fulfilment  of  commands.  Neither  teaching  is  given  in  a 
form  which  it  would  be  impossible  to  misinterpret,  but  when  once 
allowance  has  been  made  for  the  pedagogical  exaggeration  of  statement, 
this  great  truth  appears  :  to  live  the  ideal  life  taught  by  Jesus,  one 
needs  to  have  within  oneself  an  active  principle  which  will  prompt  to 
deeds,  rather  than  to  submit  to  a  lawgiver  who  will  enforce  the  pre- 
cise rule  of  the  hour.  In  the  man  of  faith  there  is  a  power  which  is 
immeasurable  ;  for  the  man  of  mere  obedience,  ability  simply  to  per- 
form tasks. 

^241.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — ( i )  *  What  was 
the  objection  of  the  Pharisees  to  Jesus'  healing  a  man  on  the 
sabbath  ?  (2)*  How  does  Jesus  justify  his  act  of  mercy?  (3)* 
What  virtue  does  Jesus  enforce  by  his  words  about  finding  one's 
seat  at  a  dinner?  (4)  Should  one  be  humble  for  the  sake  of 
being  humble?  (5)*  What  does  Jesus  teach  about  the  real 
nature  of  hospitality?  (6)*  What  parable  does  Jesus  use  to 
teach  concerning  those  who  will  not,  and  those  who  will,  become 
members  of  the  kingdom  of  God  ? 

(7)*  How  does  Jesus  enforce  the  need  of  counting  the  cost 
of  becoming  his  follower?  (8)  What  is  the  relation  of  self- 
sacrifice  to  love  ? 

(9)*  What  truth  do  the  three  parables  of  Luke,  chap.  15, 
teach  ?  (10)*  What  different  aspects  of  this  truth  does  each  par- 
able illustrate  ?  ( 1 1 )  Compare  the  attitude  of  the  Pharisees  with 
that  of  the  elder  brother.  (12)  Recall  other  sayings  of  Jesus 
in  which  God's  love  is  taught.  (13)*  Give  the  parable  of  the 
dishonest  steward  and  point  out  the  one  truth  that  it  illustrates. 
(14)*  How  does  Jesus  guard  the  parable  from  being  interpreted 
as  commending  dishonesty?  (15)*  What  was  the  attitude  of 
the  Pharisees  toward  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  the  right  use  of 
wealth?  (16)*  How  does  Jesus  illustrate  the  misery  that  comes 
from  a  selfish  use  of  wealth  ? 

^242.  Constructive  Work. —  Let  the  pupil  write  chap,  xxiv  of  his 
"  Life  of  Christ,"  especially  considering  the  teaching  of  Jesus  upon 
the  conditions  of  becoming  a  member  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the 
right  use  of  wealth. 


THE    RAISING    OF    LAZARUS  201 

^243.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  laws  of  inheritance  among  the  Jews. 
See  Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article  "  Heir." 

2.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  wealth. 

^ATYLY-WS,  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,  chap.   6;   Peabody, /«fjMj   Christ  and  the 
Social  Question,  chaps.  4-6. 

3.  The  dangers  to  which  religious  people  are  exposed  as  illustrated 
by  references  to  the  Pharisees  in  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    RAISING    OF    LAZARUS,    AND    ITS    EFFECT    ON    THE    JEWS. 

^105.  The  raising  of  Lazarus.  John  11  :  1-46. 

f  106.  The  withdrawal  to  Ephraim.  John  11:47-54. 

^244.  Notes  on  §105,  John  11:1-46. — The  narrative  of  the  rais- 
ing of  Lazarus  falls  into  four  parts  :  {a)  the  message  to  Jesus  and  the 
conversation  of  Jesus  with  his  disciples,  vss.  1-16  ;  {b)  the  conversa- 
tion between  Jesus  and  the  two  sisters,  vss.  17-37;  (f)  Lazarus  called 
forth  from  the  tomb,  vss.  38-44;    {d)  the  effect  on  the  Jews,  vss.  45-46. 

Vs.  I,  ''Bethany":  a  village  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  now  known  as  El  'Azariyeh,  and  as  vs.  18  says,  fifteen  fur- 
longs, a  little  less  than  two  miles,  from  Jerusalem.  See  more  fully  in 
•[  267.  Vs.  2  refers  to  the  event  of  John  12  : 1-3.  The  most  noteworthy 
element  of  this  part  of  the  narrative  is  Jesus'  expression  of  confidence 
that  he  could  be  in  no  real  danger  while  he  was  in  the  path  of  duty 
(vss.  8-10).  The  "  twelve  hours  in  the  day  "  are  the  symbol  of  a  man's 
appointed  time  of  work,  during  which  his  path  of  duty  is  plain  before 
him.  While  they  last  he  need  not  stumble.  It  is  only  when  he  under- 
takes to  go  forward  with  no  light  of  conviction  on  his  path  —  in  other 
words,  turns  aside  from  the  path  of  duty  —  that  real  danger  begins. 

Vss.  4-7  and  1 5  raise  the  difficult  question  why  Jesus,  when  he  had  heard 
of  Lazarus'  sickness,  tarried  still  two  days  where  he  was.  Was  it  that  he 
might  arrive  after  the  death  of  Lazarus,  or,  if  (as  vss.  6,  17  suggest)  he  were 
already  dead,  that  there  might  be  no  possible  doubt  of  the  fact,  and  so  the 
glory  of  God  might  be  more  manifest  (vs.  4)  ?  The  narrative  perhaps  sug- 
gests this  on  the  surface.  But  it  is  difficult  for  us  to  believe  that  this  was 
actually  Jesus'  intention.  It  was  contrary  to  his  general  principle  and  prac- 
tice (see  •^  59)  to  create  opportunities  for  the  display  of  his  power.  And  we 
are  constrained  to  believe  that  he  had  other  reasons  for  his  delay,  perhaps. 


202  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

as  vss.  8-10  suggest,  that  he  might  be  clear  what  the  path  of  duty  —  the  will  of 
his  Father — was.  That  he  foresaw  his  death  is  perfectly  clear.  But  he  may 
well  have  hesitated,  and  waited  for  light  on  the  question  whether  it  was  yet 
time  to  precipitate  that  death,  and  whether  it  was  his  duty,  in  the  face  of 
possible  death,  at  this  time  to  go  into  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Jerusalem. 
In  the  end  he  decides  that  it  is  his  duty  to  go.  That  he  should  avail  him- 
self of  the  situation  which  the  delay  created  to  strengthen  the  faith  of  his 
disciples  (vs.  15)  is  only  what  we  should  expect.  How  he  learned  of  the 
death  of  Lazarus  (vss.  1 1  ff.)  the  narrative  gives  us  no  means  of  knowing. 

In  his  conversation  with  the  sisters  (vss.  17-37)  the  effort  of  Jesus 
is  directed  toward  convincing  them  that  in  him  is  the  power  of  eternal 
life,  and  in  faith  in  him  the  guarantee  of  it.  They  already  believe 
that  he  is  the  Christ  (vs.  27),  that  he  can  cure  sickness  and  so  prevent 
death  (vss.  21,  32),  and  Martha  has  at  least  a  hope  that  God  will  in 
answer  to  his  prayer  raise  up  the  dead,  anticipating  that  resurrection 
of  the  last  day  for  which  she  looks  (vs.  24).  But  Jesus  would  have 
her  see  that  for  him  who  has  faith  in  him  the  victory  is  already 
achieved;  that  life  in  him  is  itself  and  in  its  nature  eternal  life,  of 
which  death  is  but  an  insignificant  interruption  (vss.  25,  26).  Fellow- 
ship with  God  is  the  basis  of  eternal  life  (John  17:  3),  and  faith  in 
Jesus  creates  such  fellowship. 

Vss.  38-44,  which  relate  the  raising  itself,  illustrate  the  sympathy 
of  Jesus  with  sorrow,  and  indicate  the  conditions  under  which  he 
wrought  all  his  deeds  of  power.  See  especially  vs.  41,  and  cf.  John 
5  :  19  ff.  Vs.  39,  compared  with  vs.  17,  reflects  the  fact  that  burial  in 
that  country  took  place,  for  sanitary  reasons,  on  the  same  day  as  death. 

Looking  at  the  whole  event  in  the  light  in  which  the  narrative 
itself  places  it,  we  see  in  it  a  manifestation  of  the  glory  of  God,  i.  e., 
of  his  power  and  goodness,  through  his  Son,  and  especially  a  revelation 
of  the  impossibility  of  death,  save  as  an  incident  in  an  endless  life,  to 
one  who  has  faith,  and  consequently  life,  in  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God. 

^245.  Notes  on  T[io6,  John  11  147-54. — Vs.  47,  "the  chief  priests 
therefore  and  the  Pharisees"  :  The  chief  priests  being  mostly  Saddu- 
cees  (Acts  5:  17),  this  coalition  was  a  union  of  two  elements  which 
were  usually  antagonistic  to  one  another,  though  there  were  repre- 
sentatives of  both  parties  in  the  Sanhedrin.  Up  to  this  time  the 
opposition  to  Jesus  in  Jerusalem  had  come  from  the  Pharisees,  though 
Matthew  mentions  both  parties  as  opposing  him  in  Galilee  (Matt. 
16:1).  Now  they  unite  against  him  in  Jerusalem  also,  and  (vs.  53) 
from  this  time  seek  to  compass  his  death.  The  reason  for  opposing 
him,  given   in  vs.  48,  is  a  political   one,  and  as  such  seems  to  reflect 


THE    RAISING    OF    LAZARUS  203 

the  thought  of  the  Sadducees,  though  the  Pharisees  also,  unlike  the 
Zealots,  were  averse  to  a  revolution.  What  both  alike  feired  was  a 
messianic  movement,  which  the  Romans  would  treat  as  treason,  and 
as  so  dangerous  as  to  require  the  taking  away  from  the  Jews  of  all 
semblance  even  of  independence.  The  words  of  Caiaphas,  vss.  49,  50, 
are,  as  an  expression  of  his  thought,  those  of  the  sheerest  worldly 
wisdom.  Rejecting  instantly  the  policy  of  letting  Jesus  alone,  by  which 
they  might  possibly  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  Romans,  he  proposes 
to  put  him  out  of  the  way,  judging  it  every  way  better  to  sacrifice  one 
man  than  to  risk  the  peace  of  the  nation.  To  the  evangelist  the 
words  so  appropriately  and  exactly  describe  the  actual  mission  of 
Jesus  that  he  can  only  account  for  them  as  spoken  by  inspiration, 
itself  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  sacred  office  that  Caiaphas  held. 
The  conception  of  the  high  priest  as  the  medium  of  divine  communi- 
cation, and  the  idea  of  unconscious  prophecy,  both  belong  to  Jewish 
thought. 

"  The  Jews  "  among  whom  Jesus  walked  no  more  (vs.  54)  are  prob- 
ably those  of  Jerusalem.  The  city  of  Ephraim  (vs.  54)  to  which  he 
retired  is  probably  the  Ophrah  (Josh.  18  :  23)  and  Ephron  or  Ephrain 
(2  Chron.  13:19)  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  probable  site  being  at 
Et-Taiyibeh,  about  four  miles  northeast  of  Bethel.  (See  Robinson,  Bib. 
Res.,  Vol.  I,  p.  447;  Smith,  Historical  Geography,  p.  352;  and  Bible 
Dictionaries.)  Jesus  had  faced  necessary  danger  to  come  to  Bethany, 
but  this  task  done  he  retires,  assured,  no  doubt,  that  the  time  had  not 
yet  come  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  final  task  in  his  own  death. 
Cf.  John  II  19,  10. 

^246.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  Where  is 
Bethany  ?  (2)  What  other  place  of  the  same  name  is  mentioned 
in  this  gospel?  (3)*  What  previous  mention  has  there  been  of 
the  family  at  Bethany  ?  (4)  Where  are  they  mentioned  later  ? 
(5)  Relate  the  conversation  of  Jesus  with  his  disciples  when  they 
heard  the  news  that  Lazarus  was  sick,  (6)*  State  the  important 
principle  which  Jesus  expressed  concerning  duty  and  danger. 
(7)  Suggest  modern  applications  of  this  principle.  (8)  Relate 
the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  the  two  sisters.  (9)*  What 
great  truth  was  Jesus  endeavoring  to  impress  upon  their  minds  ? 
(10)  On  what  can  we  rest  our  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality? 
(i  i)*  What  use  does  Jesus  make  of  this  whole  incident  ? 


204  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(12)*  What  was  the  twofold  effect  on  the  Jews  of  the  rais- 
ing of  Lazarus  (John  11:45,  47  ff.)?  (13)  Whose  thought  does 
vs.  48  express  ?  Explain  it  in  the  light  of  the  political  status 
of  Palestine.  (14)*  What  did  Caiaphas  mean  by  his  words  in 
vs.  50?  (15)*  What  great  truth  does  the  evangelist  find  in  the 
words?  (16)  Had  Jesus  himself  perceived  and  expressed  this 
truth?  If  so,  where?  (17)  To  what  place  did  Jesus  withdraw? 
(18)  What  motive  led  him  to  do  so?  (19)  If,  as  has  already 
appeared,  Jesus  had  before  this  foreseen  that  his  death  was 
necessary,  why  did  he  at  this  time  retire  from  danger  ?  (20)*  In 
what  attitude  toward  his  own  death  does  Jesus  appear  in  this 
whole  chapter  ? 

^  247.  Constructive  Work. — Write  a  brief  account  of  the  raising  of 
Lazarus  (chap,  xxv),  bringing  out  the  use  which  Jesus  made  of  the 
events,  and  the  relation  of  them,  in  his  mind  and  in  fact,  to  his  com- 
ing death. 

^248.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  differing  attitudes  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  respect- 
ively to  Jesus ;  the  ground  of  the  opposition  of  the  Pharisees  to  him  ; 
and  of  the  Sadducees. 

2.  The  several  instances  of  Jesus'  raising  persons  from  the  dead  ; 
the  gospels  that  record  each  ;  the  distinctive  characteristic  of  each 
event. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

FURTHER  TEACHINGS  IN  PEREA. 

§  107.  The  ten  lepers.  Luke  17  :  11-19. 

§  108.  The  coming  of  the  kingdom.  Luke  1 7  :  20—18  : 8. 

§  109.  The  Pharisee  and  the  publican.  Luke  18  :9-i4. 

^249.  Notes  on  §107,  Luke  17:11-19. — Vs.  11,  "on  the  way  to 
Jerusalem  ....  through  the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee":  This 
language  evidently  places  Jesus  at  some  distance  from  Jerusalem.  On 
the  difficulty  of  arranging  events  in  this  period  and  the  basis  of  the 
arrangement  here  followed  see  ^212.  Vs.  19,  "thy  faith  hath  made 
thee  whole  "  :  this  language  in  itself  might  refer  to  bodily  healing  or  to 
a  spiritual  salvation,  such  as  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  Cf.  Mark  5  :  34  ; 
Luke  7  :  50,    the    language  bein.e^    in    both   cases   the   same   as    here. 


FURTHER  TEACHINGS  IN  PEREA  20$ 

But  in  view  of  the  fact  that  this  man  had  in  common  with  the  other 
nine  already  been  physically  healed,  the  probability  is  that  the  lan- 
guage here  refers  to  a  spiritual  healing.  Gratitude  to  Jesus,  carrying 
with  it  recognition  of  God  as  the  source  of  his  blessing  (vs.  i8),  wak- 
ened the  desire  for  something  higher  and,  as  we  may  infer  from  Jesus' 
words  to  him  (vs.  19),  faith  that  in  this  too  Jesus  was  the  mediator  of 
God's  blessing.  The  incident  illustrates  again  the  principle,  repeatedly 
exemplified  in  the  gospels,  "  according  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you." 
Cf.  ^^  154,  155.  What  men  believed  Jesus  could  do  for  them  he 
wrought ;  for  the  nine  who  believed  he  could  heal  leprosy,  physical 
healing  ;  for  the  tenth  who  was  quickened  through  gratitude  to  a  larger 
faith,  a  corresponding  spiritual  blessing.  Men's  faith  never  outran, 
never  outruns,  the  ability  of  Jesus,  or  God's  willingness  through  him 
to  bless  them. 

1[  250.  Notes  on  §  io8,  Luke  17  :  20 — 18  : 8. — The  first  part  of  this  sec- 
tion deals  with  the  question  so  interesting  to  all  Jesus'  contemporaries  : 
When  will  the  kingdom  of  heaven  come,  and  what  are  the  signs  of  its 
coming?  Jesus'  first  answer  is  that  it  does  not  come  with  watching  for 
it,  /.  e.,  thev  will  not  see  it  who  think  to  find  it  by  searching  for  it;  which 
is  illustrated  in  the  fact  that,  while  they  were  asking  when  it  would  come, 
it  was  already  present.  "  Within  you  "  (vs.  2 1)  is  probably  not  intended 
to  emphasize  the  internal  character  of  the  kingdom  (true  though  this 
is  in  a  sense  to  Jesus'  thought),  but  that  it  is  already  in  their  very  midst, 
/.  e.,  "among  you."  By  this  statement  Jesus  corrects  the  false  idea  of 
the  kingdom  as  a  new  political  regime,  to  be  set  up  on  some  certain 
day,  presenting  the  kingdom  rather  as  a  new  moral  order  which  had 
already  begun. 

Vss.  22-37  speak  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  affirm  that, 
just  as  the  kingdom  is  not  to  be  found  out  by  searching  for  it,  being, 
though  present,  hidden  from  those  whose  eyes  are  blind  to  its  pres- 
ence, so  it  is  with  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  —  one  event  in  which 
the  kingdom  is  manifested.  When  Jesus  is  taken  away  from  his  dis- 
ciples, they  will  long  for  his  presence,  and  will  be  tempted  to  believe 
those  who  tell  them  that  he  is  here  or  there  (vss.  22,  23).  But  these 
are  false  leaders.  For  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  will  be  open  and 
plain  to  all,  as  the  lightning  that  shines  from  horizon  to  horizon  (vs. 
24),  and  not  immediate,  for  the  rejection  of  Jesus  must  precede  it 
(vs.  25).  Yet,  though  thus  open,  it  will  be  unexpected,  and  when  the 
messianic  judgmefit  falls  it  will  be  on  men  who  are  not  looking  for  it 
(vss.  26-30).     How  useless,  then,  to  be  searching  for  it  in  out-of-the-way 


206  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

places !  If  one  have  eyes  to  see  it,  the  kingdom  is  already  present. 
And  when  the  Son  of  man  comes,  it  will  be  in  an  event  that  all  the 
world  will  see. 

Vss.  31,  32  probably  refer  especially  to  the  uselessness  and  folly  of 
attempting  to  save  one's  property  when  the  judgment  of  God  comes 
upon  the  nation  ;  vs.  33,  to  the  general  principle  that  the  selfish  attempt 
to  save  one's  self  is  suicidal.  The  true  wisdom  is  to  live  the  unselfish 
life,  by  which  alone  one  really  saves  one's  self.  Then,  when  disaster 
comes,  it  will  be  no  real  disaster;  the  true  self  will  have  been  saved, 
though  all  else  be  lost. 

Vss.  34,  35  indicate  that  the  messianic  judgment  will,  even  though 
national,  discriminate  between  individuals.  Those  most  closely  asso- 
ciated will  be  separated:  the  one  taken,  the  other  left;  the  one  saved, 
the  other  lost.  Vs.  37  answers  the  question  of  the  disciples  as  to  the 
place  of  the  coming  in  enigmatic  phrase,  meaning  that  where  corrup- 
tion is  there  judgment  will  fall.  It  is  evident  that,  though  Jesus  has 
in  mind  especially  a  judgment  on  the  Jewish  nation,  this  is  to  him  but 
an  instance  under  a  general  principle. 

Vss.  18:  1-8,  the  parable  of  the  unrighteous  judge,  connect  them- 
selves with  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  because  that  coming  was  thought 
of  as  bringing  deliverance  of  the  righteous  from  their  oppressors. 
The  teaching  of  the  parable  is  stated  in  vs.  i,  that  men  ought  always 
to  pray,  and  not  to  faint ;  if  even  an  unjust  judge  will  give  justice 
at  length,  how  much  more  certainly  will  the  righteous  God  ;  there- 
fore, though  he  seem  to  be  silent,  men  ought  to  trust  and  wait.  Vs.  8 
raises  the  question  whether,  despite  the  reason  which  his  disciples  have 
to  retain  faith  in  God,  this  faith  will  still  persevere  till  the  Lord  comes 
again. 

^251.  Notes  on  §  109,  Luke  18  :  9-14. — The  teaching  of  this  parable 
is  so  perfectly  plain  that  it  calls  only  for  thoughtful  meditation.  The 
publican,  a  confessed  and  penitent  sinner,  who  can  only  cry  for  mercy, 
is  more  acceptable  to  God,  possesses  more  that  God  approves,  than 
the  Pharisee,  performing  all  the  duties  of  morality  and  religion  accord- 
ing to  the  strict  standard  of  his  strict  sect,  but  lacking  humility,  devoid 
of  the  sense  of  needing  anything  more.  The  parable  is  an  expanded 
form  of  Jesus'  teaching  :  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven"  (Matt.  5  :  3). 


^1252.    Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)   Tell  the 
story  of  the  ten  lepers.      (2)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  Jesus  in 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    PEREAN    MINISTRY  20/ 

VS.  19?  (3)*  In  what  two  respects  did  the  tenth  man  differ 
from  the  other  nine?  (4)  What  is  the  relation  between  these 
two  differences  ?  (5)*  What  general  principle  of  Jesus*  relation 
to  men  does  the  narrative  illustrate  ? 

(6)*  With  what  question  does  Luke  17:20,  21  deal?  (7)* 
Explain  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  answer  to  the  Pharisees,  and 
the  error  it  was  intended  to  correct.  (8)*  With  what  related 
subject  do  vss.  22-37  deal?  (9)*  What  great  truth  does  Jesus 
here  teach  respecting  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  in  judg- 
ment ?  (10)*  Is  such  coming  to  be  prepared  for  by  watching, 
and  calculating  its  time,  or  by  a  right  life?  (11)*  What  is 
the  teaching  of  the  parable  of  the  unrighteous  judge  (Luke 
18: 1-8)? 

(12)*  Relate  Jesus'  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  the  publican. 
(13)*  Explain  its  meaning. 

^253.  Constructive  Work.  —  Write  chap,  xxvi  of  your  **  Life  of 
Christ,"  stating  briefly  the  incidents  and  teachings  of  §§  107-109. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    PEREAN    MINISTRY. 

§  I  ID.  Concerning  divorce. 

Matt.  19  :3-i2.  Mark  10  :  2-12. 

§111.  Christ  blessing  little  children. 

Matt.  19  :  13-15.  Mark  10  :  13-16.  Luke  18  :  15-17. 

§  112.  The  rich  young  ruler. 

Matt.  19  :  16—20  :  16.        Mark  10  :  17-31.  Luke  18  :  18-30. 

§113.  Christ  foretells  his  crucifixion. 

Matt.  20  :  17-19.  Mark  10  :  32-34.  Luke  18  :  31-34- 

§114.  Ambition  of  James  and  John. 

Matt.  20  :  20-28.  Mark  10  :  35-45. 

§115.  The  blind  man  near  Jericho. 

Matt.  20  :  29-34.  Mark  10  :  46-52.  Luke  18  :  35-43- 

^  254.  Notes  on  §  no,  Mark  10  :  2-12. — Vs.  2,  "is  it  lawful  ":  better, 
is  it  right  ?  Of  the  mere  legality  of  divorce,  which  was  the  husband's 
own  act,  not  as  with  us  that  of  a  court,  there  could  be  no  question. 
Vs.  5,  "  but  Jesus  said,"  etc.:  Having  drawn  out  a  statement  of  the  law, 
Jesus  does  not  question  that  it  permitted  divorce  (and  that,  indeed, 


208  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

without  limitation  to  cases  of  adultery),  but  declares  that  this  permis- 
sion was  a  concession  to  the  hardness  of  men's  hearts,  of  which  con- 
cession they  ought  not  to  avail  themselves.  Not  all  that  the  law 
permits  is  for  that  reason  right  to  do.  What  the  duty  of  men  in  past 
days  had  been  is  a  question  Jesus  does  not  even  raise.  Vs.  6,  ''from 
the  beginning  of  the  creation,  male  and  female  made  he  them":  Jesus 
appeals  to  the  fundamental  fact  of  human  nature,  itself  evidently  of 
divine  appointment,  that  human  beings  are  of  two  sexes,  having  dis- 
tinct and  reciprocal  functions  and  responsibilities.  In  this  funda- 
mental fact,  involving,  as  it  does,  the  relations  of  husband  and  wife, 
parents  and  children,  Jesus  finds  a  divine  sanction  of  marriage,  and 
from  it  he  draws  the  conclusion — which,  like  the  fact  itself,  he  states 
in  Old  Testament  language  —  that  marriage  should  never  be  broken. 
Vss.  II,  12  reaffirm  to  his  disciples  in  other  language  the  teaching 
already  expressed  to  the  Pharisees  is  vss.  5-9. 

^255.  Notes  on  §  no,  Matt.  19  :  3-12. — Vs.  3,  "  for  every  cause  " :  an 
addition  to  the  question  as  found  in  Mark  which  changes  somewhat  its 
color.  As  Mark  gives  it,  the  question  pertains  simply  to  Jesus' attitude 
toward  a  statute  of  the  Mosaic  law(^/.  Mark's  vs.  2,  "  tempting  him  "). 
In  Matthew  it  takes  the  form  which  it  had  in  the  controversies  of  Jesus' 
day.  Two  great  teachers,  both  Pharisees,  and  living  but  a  little  before 
Jesus,  took  opposite  ground  on  this  question,  Shammai  holding  that  a 
man  ought  to  divorce  his  wife  only  if  she  were  guilty  of  adultery, 
5illel  teaching  that  he  might  do  it  for  anything  in  her  that  displeased 
him,  even  for  burning  his  dinner.  Jesus'  answer  in  Matthew  corresponds 
also  to  this  form  of  the  question,  including  the  words  "  except  for 
fornication  "  (vs.  9),  by  which  Jesus  in  effect  sides  with  the  stricter  view 
of  Shammai.  This  exception  is  also  found  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus 
reported  in  Matt.  5:31,  32.  The  essential  teaching  is,  however,  the 
same  in  both  cases,  when  both  are  interpreted  in  the  light  of  Jesus* 
fundamental  ethical  teaching,  as  set  forth,  for  example,  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount.  The  principle  of  love  (not  mere  fondness,  but  self- 
denying,  unselfish  love)  must  rule  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  and  so 
in  the  family.  Added  to  the  fundamental  fact  of  human  nature  to 
which  Jesus  here  appeals,  this  principle  makes  marriage  inviolable. 
If  there  be  any  exception  to  this  rule  (to  the  principle  there  can  be 
none),  it  must  be  when,  because  of  grievous  sin  on  one  side,  love  itself 
(regard  for  the  well-being  of  all  concerned,  the  wife,  children,  society 
at  large)  demands  that  the  husband  put  away  his  wife,  or  the  wife  her 
husband.     The  teaching  in  Matthew  recognizes  such  a  possibility;  in 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    PEREAN    MINISTRY  "      2O9 

Mark  the  general  principle  is  laid  down.     (See  Mathews,  Soda/  Teach- 
ing of  Jesus,  chap.  4.) 

On  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  Old  Testament  law  see  ^  125. 

The  present  chapter  (xxvii)  contains,  it  will  be  noticed,  the  whole  of  the 
Mark-Matthew  account  of  the  ministry  in  Perea,  most  of  which  Luke  also  con- 
tains, placing  it  at  the  end  of  his  much  longer  account.  For  this  reason,  and 
because  some  of  the  events  evidently  belong  at  the  end,  it  is  given  the  title, 
"Closing  Events  of  the  Perean  Ministry,"  though  it  is  by  no  means  impossible 
that  some  of  the  events  (<?.^^.,  g§  i  lo-i  12)  belong  to  the  early  part.  Cf.  ^212. 
The  remaining  §§  i  i6-»i  18  all  fall  in  Judea,  as  indeed  does  §  115. 

1;256.  Notes  on  §  iii,  Mark  10 :  13-16. — Vs.  13,  "little  children": 
simply,  "children;"  the  word  is  broad  enough  to  cover  children  up 
to  twelve  years  old  (Mark  5  :  39),  or  perhaps  older.  Vs.  14,  "for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  God":  to  such  it  belongs;  the  construction 
is  the  same  as  in  Matt.  5  :  3,  10.  Of  course,  the  idea  that  such  as  these 
compose  the  kingdom  is  also  involved.  The  quality  of  childlikeness, 
receptivity  and  trustfulness,  whether  found  in  a  child  or  an  adult,  is 
a  necessary  condition  of  obtaining  the  blessing  of  the  kingdom.  And 
this  thought  is  further  emphasized  in  vs.  15,  which  Matthew  omits  here, 
but  gives  for  substance  in  18:3.  Vs.  16  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  This 
beautiful  scene  calls  for  reflection  and  imagination  rather  than  for  dis- 
cussion. 

1(257.  Notes  on  §112,  Mark  10:17-31. — Vs.  17,  "what  shall  I  do 
that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life":  The  question  itself  is  deeply  sig- 
nificant. The  Old  Testament  frequently  speaks  of  "  inheriting  the 
land"  {e.  g.,  Ps.  37:9,  it),  and  the  expression  also  occurs  in  the  New 
Testament,  though  probably  in  a  figurative  sense  (Matt.  5  :  5).  But 
this  scribe  had  gained  a  conception  of  eternal  life  (see  Dan.  12:2), 
and  desired  to  obtain  this.  Vs.  18,  "why  callest  thou  me  good? 
There  is  none  good  save  one,  even  God":  The  intent  of  Jesus'  question 
is  neither  to  deny  his  own  goodness  in  a  sense  that  would  imply  that 
he  was  sinful,  nor  to  imply  that  if  he  is  good  (as  he  is),  then  he  is  God, 
but  to  turn  the  young  man's  thought  to  God  as  the  fountain  of  all 
goodness,  the  only  independently  good  being.  The  young  man  had 
come  addressing  Jesus  as  "  teacher,"  and  asking  him  what  he  should 
do  to  inherit  eternal  life.  Jesus'  words  turn  his  thought  away  from 
himself  as  one  who  could  teach  him  what  to  do,  in  order  to  inherit 
eternal  life,  to  God,  the  absolutely  good  One,  in  whom  alone  is  good- 
ness and  life.  Till  the  man  could  look  at  Jesus,  not  simply  as  a  teacher 
of  morality,  but  as  a  revelation  of  the  goodness  of  God,  until  he  could 


210  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

see  God  revealed  in  him,  his  thought  must  be  turned  to  God  as  the 
source  of  all  goodness.  Vs.  19,  "thou  knovvest  the  commandments"  : 
By  these,  as  the  standard  of  goodness  best  known  to  the  young  Jew, 
Jesus  first  of  all  tries  the  man  :  eternal  life,  he  implies,  can  be  had 
only  by  the  good  man.  Cf.  Matt.  19  :  17,  which  expresses  this  implica- 
tion more  distinctly.  Vs.  21,  "and  Jesus  looking  upon  him  loved 
him"  :  Evidently  the  claim  of  the  young  man  to  have  kept  the  com- 
mandments (vs.  20)  was  no  hypocritical  boast,  though  it  would  be  too 
much  to  say  that  he  had  lived  a  life  faultless  in  deed  and  thought. 
"One  thing  thou  lackest":  viz.,  as  the  following  words  show,  the  true 
spirit  of  love.  The  particular  command  to  sell  his  goods,  etc.,  was  of 
course  for  this  young  man  alone,  the  thing  which  Jesus  perceived  to 
be  the  needful  expression  in  his  case  of  that  principle  of  love  which 
is  itself  in  every  case  needful,  since  it  is  the  fulfilling  of  law,  the  heart 
of  goodness,  the  condition  of  eternal  life,  because  the  condition  of  fel- 
lowship with  God. 

Vss.  23-31  are  evidently  suggested  by  the  case  of  this  young  man, 
and  deal  with  the  possession  of  riches  as  a  hindrance  to  entering  the 
kingdom.  Vs.  24,  "for  them  that  trust  in  riches"  suggests  why  riches 
constitute  such  a  jiindrance,  because  rich  men  are  prone  to  trust  in 
their  riches  and  lose  sight  of  their  need  of  God.  But  these  words 
(found  neither  in  Matthew  nor  in  Luke)  probably  do  not  belong  here 
(see  margin  R.  V.)  even  in  Mark.  Such  an  explanation  of  Jesus' 
meaning  would  have  scarcely  left  room  for  the  surprise  of  the  disciple 
(vs.  26).  Vs.  25,  "a  needle's  eye":  to  be  taken  liberally,  not  as  refer- 
ring to  a  gate  thus  called  ;  the  whole  expression  is  a  forcible  and 
impressive  hyperbole.  Vs.  30,  "shall  receive  a  hundred-fold  now  in 
this  time"  :  not  arithmetically,  but  in  real  value  to  the  man.  Godli- 
ness is  a  hundred-fold  more  profitable  than  selfishness,  even  for  this 
life.  Vs.  31,  "but  many  that  are  first  shall  be  last;  and  the  last  first"  : 
God  is  judge  and  rewarder,  and  his  judgments  are  not  always  in  agree- 
ment with  those  of  men.  Peter  felt  that  he  and  his  fellow-apostles 
had  made  great  sacrifices  (vs.  28).  Jesus  assures  him  that  no  one  shall 
lose  his  reward,  but  adds  that  others  who  seem  to  him  to  have  given 
up  less  may  in  fact  receive  more. 

^258.  Notes  on  §  112,  Matt  20  : 1-16.  —  The  parable  of  the  laborer 
in  the  vineyard,  added  here  in  Matthew,  illustrates  the  saying,  "  But 
many  shall  be  last  that  are  first ;  and  first  that  are  last,"  which  pre- 
cedes it  and  follows  it  (19  :  30  ;  20  :  16).  The  teaching  of  the  parable 
is  clear  in  the  light  of  this  saying.     God  will  be  righteous  and  faithful 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    PEREAN    MINISTRY  211 

to  his  promises,  in  his  awards ;  but  he  himself  is  judge  of  what  each 
man  ought  to  receive.  To  man's  judgment  the  awards  will  often  seem 
out  of  proportion  to  desert ;  but  God  himself  is  the  righteous  judge. 
The  parable  finds  constant  illustration  in  life,  and  its  lesson  is  one  most 
needful  to  be  learned. 

•:259.  Notes  on  113,  Mark  10  132-34.— Vs.  32,  "Jesus  was  going 
before  them  :  and  they  were  amazed  ;  and  they  that  followed  were 
afraid  "  :  evidently  because  of  something  of  intensity  and  determina- 
tion in  his  manner.  As  from  the  beginning,  so  now  Jesus  contem- 
plates his  coming  death  with  dread,  yet  with  unflinching  resolution. 
Cf.^^  168,  188.  Vs.  33,  "shall  deliver  him  unto  the  gentiles":  a 
new  element  not  contained  in  previous  predictions  (Mark  8:31; 
9:31;  Luke  17:25),  yet  a  necessary  consequence  of  the  political 
status  of  Judea,  if  only  he  was  not  to  be  slain  by  a  mob,  since  the 
Jewish  court  did  not  possess  the  power  of  life  and  death.  Matthew's 
word  "crucify"  (20  :  19)  is  a  reference  to  the  Roman  mode  of  punish- 
ment. 

1^260.  Notes  on  §114,  Mark  10:35-45. — Vs  37,  "grant  unto  us 
that  we  may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  one  on  thy  left  hand,  in 
thy  glory  "  :  a  request  which  shows  both  that  the  disciples  still  looked 
for  a  political  kingdom,  and  that  these  two  at  least  still  cherished  a 
selfish  ambition  to  outrank  their  fellow-apostles  —  the  first  an  intel- 
lectual error,  the  second  a  grave  moral  fault.  Vs.  38,  "  are  ye  able  to 
drink  the  cup,"  etc. :  Both  cup  and  baptism  are  figurative  expressions 
for  the  painful  experiences  of  toil  and  sorrow  and  humiliation  through 
which  Jesus  foresaw  that  he  must  pass.  Vs.  39,  "  the  cup  that  I  drink 
ye  shall  drink  ":  The  sorrows  of  life  they  should  indeed  share  with  him, 
not  necessarily  in  degree  nor  in  precise  form,  but  in  kind.  See  Acts 
12  :  I,  2  as  illustrating,  but  by  no  means  exhausting,  Jesus'  meaning. 
Vs.  40,  "but  to  sit  on  my  right  hand  ....  is  not  mine  to  give": 
Jesus  retains  their  form  of  expression  without  seeking  explicitly  to 
correct  the  error  of  their  thought.  The  more  needful  thing  is  to  cor- 
rect their  wrong  ambition.  Vs.  42,  "  they  which  are  accounted  to 
rule "  :  officials,  governors,  etc.  "  Lord  it  over  them  "  :  exercise 
arbitrary  authority,  ruling  for  their  own  advantage,  not  for  the  benefit 
of  the  ruled.  Cf.  on  John  10:8,  ^221.  Vs.  43,  "but  it  is  not  so 
among  you  "  :  Jesus  reverses  wholly  the  common  conception  of  the 
business  of  a  ruler.  The  ruler  is  to  serve  the  ruled  :  eminence  is  to  be 
attained  by  service.  "Shall  be  your  minister  (servant)"  :  See  ^196. 
Vs.  45,  "  for  verily  the  Son  of  man  came   not   to  be  ministered  unto. 


212 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


but  to  minister"  :  The  duty  of  the  disciple  Jesus  enforces  by  his  own 
example.  "And  to  give  his  life  "  :  not  simply  to  lay  it  down  in  death, 
but  to  devote  it  to  the  service  of  mankind,  including,  if  need  be,  and 
as  he  foresaw  would  in  his  case  be  needful,  its  surrender  in  death.  "A 
ransom  for  many":  that  through  the  giving  of  which  many  were  to  be 
delivered  from  the  bondage  of  sin.  It  is  most  important  to  observe 
that  in  all  this  Jesus   is  setting  forth  himself  and   his  conduct  as  the 


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♦    . 

ELISHA'S  FOUNTAIN,  IN  JUDEA 

pattern  of  life  for  his  disciples.  This  whole  verse  is  introduced  for 
this  very  purpose.  C/.  Mark  8  :  34,  35,  and  ^188.  Jesus  has  one  prin- 
ciple and  purpose  in  life  for  himself  and  his  followers. 

■[[261.  Notes  on  §115,  Mark  10:46-52. — Vs.  46,  "  and  they  come 
to  Jericho  "  :  drawing^  near,  therefore,  to  the  end  of  their  journey  to 
Jerusalem.  Jericho  is  in  the  Jordan  valley,  five  miles  west  of  the  river, 
nearly  500  feet  higher  and  about  five  miles  north  of  the  Dead  Sea.  It 
is  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  still  exists  under 
the  name  Eriha,  though  the  site  of  the  modern  city  is  slightly  different 
from  that  of  New  Testament  times,  as  that  of  the  New  Testament  city 
was  from  that  of  the  Old  Testament.     Vs.  47:  "Jesus,  thou  Son  of 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    PEREAN    MINISTRY  21 3 

David",  this  is  the  first  instance  in  the  gospel  of  Mark  or  of  Luke  in 
which  anyone  (other  than  a  demoniac)  has  publicly  addressed  Jesus  by 
a  messianic  title.  Matthew  indeed  reports  its  use  in  9  127,  but  that 
probably  refers  in  fact  to  the  present  instance  (see  ^  155).  In  Matt. 
12  :  23  also  it  is  said  that  the  people  raised  the  question  whether  Jesus 
were  the  son  of  David.  It  is  noteworthy  that  Jesus  offers  no  objection 
to  the  title  now;  the  time  is  near  when  he  will  openly  declare  himself 
as  the  Messiah.  Vs.  52,  "thy  faith  hath  made  the  whole":  Cy.  T[^ 
154,  155,  and  249. 

Matthew  speaks  of  two  beggars,  a  difference  not  easily  accounted  for. 
Cy.  ^^  153,  155.  Luke  speaks  of  the  event  as  occuring  "as  he  drew  nigh 
unto  Jericho."  The  difference  is  unimportant,  and  perhaps  arose  from  follow- 
ing the  first  part  of  Mark's  vs.  46,  and  omitting  the  phrase  "as  he  went  out 
from  Jericho." 

^263.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  What 
question  did  the  Pharisees  put  to  Jesus  concerning  divorce  V 
(2)*  What  was  Jesus'  answer,  as  given  in  Mark?  (3)*  What  is 
the  form  of  the  question  and  answer  as  given  in  Matthew  ?  (4)* 
To  what  fundamental  fact  of  human  nature  does  Jesus  appeal  as 
the  basis  of  his  answer  ?  ( 5)  *  What  fundamental  moral  principle 
underlies  it?  (6)  Is  Jesus'  answer  a  necessary  consequence  of 
the  fact  and  this  principle?  (?)*  What  is  the  relation  of 
Jesus'  teaching  to  the  statute  of  the  Old  Testament  ?  (8)  *  What 
to  the  deeper  principles  of  the  Old  Testament  ? 

(9)  Tell  the  story  of  Jesus  and  the  children.  (10)*  What  is 
the  meaning  of  his  words  in  Mark  10:14?  (n)*  In  Mark 
10:  15  ? 

(12)  Tell  the  story  of  the  rich  young  ruler.  (13)*  What 
was  the  character  of  this  young  man  ?  Give  evidence  to  support 
your  answer.  (14)*  Why  did  Jesus  command  him  to  sell  all 
that  he  had  and  give  to  the  poor?  (15)*  Is  this  a  universally 
applicable  command?  If  so,  why?  If  not,  why  not?  (16)* 
What  did  Jesus  mean  by  the  words  "come  follow  me"?  (17) 
Is  this  command  universally  applicable  ?  If  so,  why  ?  If  not, 
why  not?  (18)*  State  the  teaching  of  Jesus  about  wealth  in 
Mark  10:23-27.  (19)  In  view  of  this  teaching  what  do  you 
say  of  the  ambition  to  be  rich?      (20)    Explain  the  words  of 


214 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


Jesus  in  Mark  10:29,  30.  (21)*  What  is  the  teaching  of  the 
parable  in  Matt.  20:  1-16,  and  what  is  its  relation  to  the  preced- 
ing paragraph  ? 

(22)  What  new  element  is  there  in  Jesus'  teaching  concerning 
his  death  in  Mark  10:  33?  How  is  the  new  element  related  to 
the  political  status  of  Judea  ? 

(23)*  What  two  errors  betray  themselves  in  the  request  of 
James  and  John  (Mark  10:  37)?  (24)*  Explain  Jesus'  reply  to 
them.  (25)*  What  principle  respecting  primacy  among  his  dis- 
ciples does  he  teach  them  in  vss.  42-44.  (26)  Indicate  appli- 
cations of  this  principle  to  various  phases  of  modern  life.  (27)* 
Explain  the  words  of  Jesus  in  10:45,  and  indicate  their  relation 
to  his  own  life,  (28)  to  the  lives  of  his  disciples. 

(29)  Tell  the  story  of  Bartimaeus.  (30)*  What  principle 
of  Jesus'  conduct  is  here  again  illustrated?  (31)*  Name  the 
sections  of  this  chap,  xxvii.  In  what  chapter  of  Mark  are  they 
all  found  ?     In  what  two  chapters  of  Matthew  ? 

^263.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxvii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  following  the  sections  as  indicated,  and  endeavoring  to  present 
each  event  and  teaching  clearly.  Distinct  progress  of  events  cannot 
be  marked  throughout,  but  such  indications  as  there  are  of  movement 
toward  the  consummation  of  Jesus'  life  should  be  pointed  out. 

^264.    Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Jesus'  ideal  of  life  for  himself  and  his  followers. 

2.  Jesus'  teachings  concerning  and  attitude  toward  family  life. 

3.  The  basis  on  which  Jesus  amended  Old  Testament  statuteSo 

4.  Jericho  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  New  Testament. 


THE  JORDAN  FERRY 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

IN    JERICHO    AND     BETHANY. 

§ii6.  Visit  to  Zacchaeus.  Luke  19:1-10. 

§117.  Parable  of  the  Minae.  Luke  19:  11-28. 

§118.  Anointing  of  Jesus  by  Mary  of  Bethany. 

Matt.  26:6-13.  Mark  14:3-9.  John  11:55—12:11. 

^265.  Notes  on*  §  116,  Luke  19:1-10. — Vs.  i,  "Jericho":  see 
^261.  Vs.  2,  **  Zacchaeus,  a  chief  publican  ":  /.  <f.,  one  who  had  bought 
the  right  to  collect  the  customs  in  the  district  about  Jericho.  Strictly- 
speaking,  he  was  not  an  official,  but  a  contractor.  He  doubtless  sold 
out  to  others  the  right  to  collect  the  customs  at  certain  points  or  on 
certain  articles  of  commerce.  Vs.  4,  "  sycomore  tree":  fig-mulberry, 
a  tree  often  growing  by  the  wayside  in  Palestine.  Its  trunk  is  short, 
and  its  branches  spread  widely.  Vs.  5,  "I  must  abide  at  thy  house  ": 
the  rabbis  would  not  have  thought  of  making  such  a  proposal.  {Cf. 
vs.  7.)  It  was  the  helpful,  fraternal  spirit  of  Jesus  that  won  Zacchaeus. 
Vs.  8,  "Zacchaeus  stood":  very  likely  in  the  solemn  posture  of  one 
taking  an  oath.  He  evidently  knew  something  of  the  teaching  of 
Jesus.  Perhaps  the  fact  that  everyone  called  him  a  "sinner"  (vs.  7) 
stung  him.  "  I  give":  not  a  reference  to  a  past  custom,  but  a  promise 
for  the  future.  On  restoring  goods  taken  by  fraud  see  Exod.  22  :  i,  4, 
7;  2  Sam.  12:6.  Vs.  9.  Notice  that  Jesus  does  not  demand  that  he  shall 
give  away  the  other  half  of  his  property.  "Son  of  Abraham  ":  /.  <?.,  an 
"Israelite  indeed"  {cf.  John  i  :  47  ;  Rom.  2  :  28,  29),  though  despised 
by  his  fellow-countrymen. 

^  266.  Notes  on  §  117,  Luke  19  :  11-28. — There  is  no  small  discussion 
as  to  whether  this  parable  is  another  form  of  that  of  the  talents,  Matt. 
25  :  14-30.  The  two  certainly  resemble  each  other  closely.  The 
teaching  of  this  in  Luke  is  that  of  faithfulness  with  its  accompanying 
reward,  as  over  against  disloyalty  with  its  resulting  punishment.  Vs. 
12,  "  a  certain  nobleman,"  etc  :  very  possibly  a  reference  to  Archelaus 
and  his  journey  to  Rome  to  obtain  a  kingdom  (Jos.,  Ant.^  xvii,  8  :  i; 
9:3;  11:4).  Vs.  13,  "  ten  pounds":  better,  ten  minae, /.  ^.,  about  $20, 
to  each  man.  Notice  that  the  reward  is  proportionate  to  the  apparent 
ability  of  the  servants.  Vs.  23.  The  attitude  of  the  "wicked  servant  " 
would   be  impossible   for  an  earnest,  faithful  man.     Vss.  25,  26  are 

215 


2l6 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


perhaps  the  record  of  a  parenthetical  conversation  between  Jesus  and 
his  hearers.  Vs.  26  is  one  of  the  most  frequently  repeated  of  all  the 
sayings  of  Jesus.  Vs.  27  takes  up  the  parable  again.  It  is  a  true 
picture  of  the  policy  of  oriental  kings. 


BETHANY 


^^267.  Notes  on  §  118,  Mark  14:3-9. — Vs.  3.  On  Bethany  see  ^f  244. 
Although  now  a  poor  Moslem  village  of  some  forty  rude  houses,  it  is 
the  largest  place  on  the  road  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem,  and  so  it  was 
in  Jesus'  day.  Cut  off  entirely  from  sight  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  there  is  nothing  in  the  views  from  Bethany  to  suggest  the 
proximity  of  a  great  city,  and  we  can  readily  understand  Jesus'  selec- 
tion of  a  spot  at  once  so  convenient  and  so  secluded  for  his  lodging- 
place  during  these  trying  days.  "Simon  the  leper"  is  not  otherwise 
known.  **  A  woman":  who  she  was  is  known  from  John  12:3. 
"Alabaster  cruse":  rather,  "an  alabaster  of."  The  name  of  the 
material  had,  like  our  word  "glass,"  come  to  be  the  name  of  the 
vessel,  box,  or  bottle.  "  Spikenard  "  :  a  perfumed  unguent  the  precise 
nature  of  which  is  uncertain.  Vss.  4,  5,  "three  hundred  denarii": 
$45,  but  with  purchasing  power  of  about  $300.     It  is  barely  possible 


IN    JERICHO    AND    BETHANY  21/ 

that  some  of  the  criticism  of  the  woman  sprang  from  the  disciples' 
exaggeration  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  about  almsgiving.  From  their 
point  of  view  it  did  seem  prodigal  to  anoint  with  a  perfume  worth  a 
year's  wages  of  a  laborer  {cf.  Matt.  20:  2).  But  Jesus  would  never  per- 
mit the  spontaneous  expression  of  love  to  be  misinterpreted.  Even 
the  obligations  of  charity  are  subject  to  love.  Vs.  7.  It  is  only  a 
perverted  exegesis  that  sees  in  these  words  of  Jesus  a  justification  of 
the  perpetuation  of  poverty.  If  his  teachings  as  to  wealth  were  once 
operative,  poverty  would  be  greatly  reduced,  if  not  destroyed.  Vs.  8 
contains  the  interpretation  which  Jesus,  foreseeing  his  speedy  death, 
puts  upon  Mary's  act. 

5[  268.  Notes  on  §118,  John  11:55  — 12:  11.  —  Vs.  55,  "to  purify 
themselves":  see  Numb.  9  :  10.  Some  purifications  required  a  week's 
residence  in  Jerusalem.  Vs.  57  shows  the  danger  to  which  Jesus  was 
exposed  in  going  to  Jerusalem  ;  for  by  "chief  priests  and  Pharisees" 
is  probably  meant  the  Sanhedrin.  Vs.  i,  "Therefore"  carries  one 
back  to  the  main  thought  of  the  preceding  verses,  /".  <f.,  the  approach  of 
Passover.  "Six  days":  As  Passover  fell  on  Thursday,  Jesus  must 
have  arrived  in  Bethany  on  Friday.  The  supper  probably  occurred 
on  Saturday,  the  Jews'  sabbath.  Vs.  2^  "Martha  served":  see  Luke 
10:  40.  Yet  the  supper  was  not  in  the  home  of  Lazarus,  but  in  that 
of  Simon,  Lazarus  being  a  guest.  Vs.  3,  "anointed  his  feet":  Mark 
and  Matthew  say  his  head.  The  discrepancy  is  unimportant.  Luke 
7:  38  speaks  of  a  woman's  anointing  the  feet  of  Jesus.  Vs.  6  contains 
the  evangelist's  explanation  of  the  question  of  Judas.  It  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  subsequent  act  of  Judas. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  identify  the  events  of  John  12:  1-8  with  those  of 
Mark  14  :  3-9  and  Matt.  26  :  6-13,  for,  despite  differences  in  certain  details, 
the  chief  elements  of  both  accounts  are  the  same.  This  is  especially  to  be 
noted  as  regards  the  sayings  of  Jesus  (John  12:7,  8;  Mark  14:  6-8),  which 
undoubtedly  led  to  the  preservation  of  the  incident.  Whether  Luke  7  :  36-50 
contains  a  variant  account  of  the  same  anointing  is  not  so  easily  settled,  but 
on  the  whole  it  seems  unlikely.  Several  details,  it  is  true,  are  common  to  the 
two  accounts,  but  the  saying  of  Jesus  in  that  of  Luke  is  utterly  unlike  that 
in  Mark  and  John,  and  this  must  be  held  to  be  decisive.  Nor  is  there 
anything  improbable  in  the  supposition  that  Jesus  was  anointed  twice  by 
women. 


^269.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  Give  an 
account   of  the   conversion   of  Zacchaeus.      (2)*  What  was  the 


2l8  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

best  evidence  of  the  reality  of  his  new  experience?  (3)  May 
the  same  evidence  be  demanded  today  ? 

(4)*  Tell  the  parable  of  the  Minae.  (5)*  What  is  its  cen- 
tral teaching?  (6)  What  was  the  chief  offense  of  the  servant 
who  brought  back  to  his  master  nothing  but  the  original  mina  ? 

(7)*  What  was  the  attitude  of  the  people  toward  Jesus?  of 
the  Sanhedrin  ?  (8)  Give  an  account  of  the  anointing  of 
Jesus  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper.  (9)*  What  criticism  was 
directed  against  Mary?  (10)*  How  did  Jesus  interpret  her 
act?  (11)  Was  Jesus  opposed  to  charity?  (12)*  Why  did 
the  priests  wish  to  kill  Lazarus  ? 

•[[270.  Constructive  Work. —  Write  chap,  xxviii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  noting  especially  the  significance  of  the  visit  of  Jesus  to 
Zacchaeus,  the  teaching  of  the  parable  of  the  Minae,  the  relation  of 
both  to  charity,  and  Jesus'  forecast  of  his  approaching  death. 

^271.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Sayings  of  Jesus  as  to  almsgiving  which  might  have  suggested 
the  criticism  of  Mary. 

2.  A  detailed  comparison  of  the  anointing  of  Jesus  recorded  in 
§  118  and  that  of  §  53,  Luke  7  :  36-50. 

^272.  Review  Questions. — (i)*  Name  the  periods  of  Jesus' 
ministry  up  to  this  point  in  the  history.  (2)*  Indicate  by  what 
each  of  these  periods  was  specially  characterized.  (3)*  What 
was  Jesus'  apparent  plan  in  respect  to  the  evangelization  of  the 
different  parts  of  Palestine  ?  (4)*  Give  a  sketch  of  the  relations 
of  Jesus  to  the  Twelve,  (s)*  When  did  the  Pharisees  begin  to 
show  opposition  to  Jesus?  (6)*  What  was  the  ground  or 
grounds  of  their  opposition?  (7)*  What  was  the  attitude  of 
the  Sadducees  to  Jesus  ?  When  and  for  what  reason  did  they 
become  active  in  opposition  to  him  ?  (8)  *  What  policy  has  Jesus 
thus  far  pursued  in  respect  to  the  declaration  of  his  messiahship? 
(9)*  What  made  Peter's  confession  particularly  significant? 
(10)*  When  did  Jesus  foresee  his  death  at  the  hands  of  his  ene- 
mies? When  and  to  whom  did  he  predict  it?  (ii)*  Describe 
the  situation  at  the  close  of  Jesus'  Perean  ministry,  in  respect  to 
work  accomplished,  attitude  of  his  disciples,  of  the  multitude, 
of  the  Pharisees,  of  the  Sadducees,  and  Jesus'  own  plan  and 
expectations. 


Part  VIII.  ^^.  . 

THE  PASSION  WEEK. 

FROM  THE  FINAL  ARRIVAL   IN  JERUSALEM   UNTIL   THE 
RESURRECTION. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY  AND  THE  CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 

§119.  The  triumphal  entry. 

Matt.  21  :i-ii.      Markii:i-ii.       Luke  19  :  29-44.     ],6hn  12  112^:^3^ 
%  120.  The  cursing  of  the  fig  tree. 

Matt.  21  :  18,  19.     Mark  II  :  12-14. 
§121.  Second  cleansing  of  the  temple. 

Matt.  21  :  12-17.     Mark  11  :  15-19.     Luke  19  : 45-48. 

[Luke  21  :37,  38.] 
^  122.  The  fig  tree  withered  away. 

Matt.  21 :  20-22.     Mark  11 :  20-25. 

^273.  Notes  on  §119,  Mark  11  :  i-ii. —  Vs.  i,  "Bethphage  and 
Bethany":  On  Bethany  see  ^244.  Bethphage  has  never  been  cer- 
tainly identified,  but  was  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  near  Bethany.  To 
judge  from  statements  in  the  Talmud,  it  was  a  more  important  place 
than  Bethany,  and  if  its  name  signifies  anything  ("the  house  of  figs"), 
it  must  have  been  prosperous.  Some  scholars  have  regarded  Beth- 
phage as  the  name,  not  of  a  village,  but  of  a  district  upon  the  Mount 
of  Olives  which  the  rabbis  treated  as  a  part  of  Jerusalem  during  the 
Passover  season,  and  thus  provided  room  for  the  huge  crowds  that 
could  not  possibly  have  been  housed  in  the  city  proper.  Vs.  2,  "the 
village":  possibly  Bethphage  or  Bethany,  but  quite  as  likely  neither. 
**  Whereon  no  man  ever  sat":  /.  e.,  young.  Vs.  3,  "  the  Lord":  better, 
the  Master,  /.  e.,  Jesus.  "  Hath  need":  /.  e.,  wants  him.  Though  Jesus 
does  not  explain  himself  to  his  disciples,  his  purpose  is  evident  from 
Matt.  21:4,  5  and  John  12  :  15.  "Will  send  him  hither":  better,  back 
again.  Jesus  promises  to  return  the  little  animal.  Vss.  7-10.  It  is 
clear  that  the  disciples  in  some  way  regarded  this  act  of  Jesus  as  an 
opportunity  to    hail    him    as    Messiah.      See    especially  vs.    10.      To 

215 


220  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

**  spread  garments  in  the  way  "  was  a  part  of  the  reception  given  a 
king  by  an  enthusiastic  town.  There  is  nothing  especially  humble  in 
riding  on  an  ass.  As  compared  with  walking  it  was  an  entrance  in 
state;  as  compared  with  riding  on  a  horse,  a  peaceful  act  typical  of 
the  character  of  his  kingdom.  Cf.  John  12  :  15;  Matt.  21  : 5,  and  the 
context  of  the  passage  quoted,  Zech.  9:9,  10.  On  the  further  meaning 
of  the  act  see  ^^274,  275. 

^  274.  Notes  on  §  119,  Matt.  21 :  i-ii. — Vs.  2,  "an  ass  and  a  colt"  : 
The  original  account  in  Mark  speaks  only  of  the  colt.  Matthew's 
account  is  apparently  affected  by  the  prophecy  given  in  vss.  4,  5  ;  </. 
vs.  7.  Vss.  4,  5.  The  quotation  is  from  Isa.  62:  11  and  Zech.  9:9. 
The  latter  is  the  more  important,  and  was  currently  regarded  as  mes- 
sianic. While  it  is  true  that,  as  John  (12:16)  says,  this  interpreta- 
tion of  the  triumphal  entry  sprang  from  the  early  church,  the  careful 
preparation  made  by  Jesus  (vss.  2,  3)  shows  that  he  also  had  the 
prophecy  in  mind.  He  was  dramatically  fulfilling  a  messianic  prophecy 
in  order  thereby  unmistakably  to  announce  his  estimate  of  his  mission 
as  the  Messiah.  Hitherto  Jesus  had  been  intent  upon  showing  his 
character  as  the  Son  of  man,  the  type  of  the  kingdom  he  was  founding; 
now  that  this  was  reasonably  clear,  and  he  had  proved  the  faith 
of  his  disciples  in  him  as  the  future  Christ,  he  wished  to  make  it 
equally  clear  to  them  and  to  the  people  generally  that  he,  such  as  he 
was,  without  political  or  military  ambitions,  meek,  self-sacrificing, 
loving,  was  indeed  the  Christ.  For  this  reason  he  does  not  rebuke 
them  when  they  give  him  messianic  titles  (Luke  19 :  39,  40),  but  even 
himself  plans  a  public,  symbolic  announcement  that  he  is  the  Christ. 
Vs.  9,  "the  multitudes":  cf.  John  12:17,  18.  "Son  of  David":  /.  e., 
Messiah,  and  in  the  thought  of  the  people  undoubtedly  a  political 
Messiah.  But  they  were  soon  to  be  undeceived.  Vs.  10  makes  it 
evident  that  the  enthusiastic  crowds  were  strangers  in  attendance 
on  the  Passover,  not  the  people  of  Jerusalem.  Vs.  11,  "this  is  the 
prophet":  They  had  a  few  moments  before  hailed  him  as  Messiah. 
Their  reversion  to  their  previous  estimate  of  him  (Mark  8:27,  28; 
Matt.  16:  13,  14)  was  perhaps  due  to  the  events  mentioned  in  Luke 
19:41-44. 

^275.  Notes  on  §119,  Luke  19:29-44.  —  Luke  follows  the  account 
of  Mark  through  vs.  36.  Vs.  37,  "as  he  was  drawing  nigh,  even  at 
the  descent  of  the  Mount  of  Olives":  Stanley  {Sinai  and  Palestine^ 
pp.  186-90)  shows  that  Luke's  language  corresponds  exactly  to  the 
peculiarities  of  the  southernmost  of  the  three  roads  from  Bethany  to 


TRIUMPHAL    ENTRY    AND    CLEANSING    OF    THE    TEMPLE 


221 


Jerusalem.  From  the  point  indicated  one  catches  the  first  view  of  the 
city,  but  not  yet  of  the  temple.  Vs.  38  :  cf.  Luke  2:14.  Vs.  40,  "the 
stones  will  cry  out"  :  a  proverb  showing  the  impossibility  of  checking 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  disciples.  Vs.  41,  ''when  he  drew  nigh": 
probably  refers  to  a  point  on  the  southern  shoulder  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  just  where  the  road  bends  sharply  to  the  north  and  west,  and 
begins  the  descent  to  the  valley  of  Kedron.  The  spot  affords  a  com- 
manding view  of  Jerusalem,  with  the  temple  area  in  the  foreground. 
Vs.  42   introduces  a  remarkable  forecast  of  the  misery  to  result  from 


v^'^^ 

'W^^ 

*i: 

M 

JERUSALEM  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES 

the  Jews'  choice  of  war  instead  of  the  peace  offered  by  Jesus.  The  two 
possible  messianic  programs  are  thus  brought  into  sharpest  contrast, 
that  of  Jesus  and  that  of  the  Zealots.  The  Jewish  people  preferred  the 
latter,  and  Jesus,  foreseeing  the  outcome  of  war  with  Rome,  and  know- 
ing that  his  own  peaceful  kingdom  was  certain  to  triumph,  laments  the 
refusal  of  the  Jewish  people  to  share  in  it.  His  tears  are  a  testimony 
to  his  love  of  his  people  and  to  his  determination  not  to  let  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  moment  sweep  him  into  a  compromise  with  the  current 
political  messianism.     He  was  the  Christ,  but  he   would  not  be  the 


222 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


Christ  the  Jews  wanted.  Vss.  43,  44  contain  a  striking  picture  of 
what  actually  happened  at  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  in  70 
A.  D.  "The  time  of  thy  visitation"  :  /.  e.,  the  time  when  opportunity 
in  the  person  of  Jesus  was  at  its  gates. 

^276.  Notes  on  §120,  Mark  11:  12-14. — Vs.  12,  "on  the  morrow": 
the  day  after  the  triumphal  entry.  On  Matthew's  order  and  arrange- 
ment see  below.  Vs.  13,  "if  haply  he  might  find  anything  thereon"  : 
This  was  hardly  to  be  expected,  since,  although  in  the  fig  tree  the  fruit 
forms  before  the  leaves  appear,  it  does  not  ripen  till  later  in  the  season 
than  this  event  is  said  to  have  occurred ;  as  the  narrative  says,  it  was 


^iiM));ii-^: 


JERUSALEM 

AND  TH  E:  roads  to  BE.TH  any 


SCALE  OF  rccT 


not  the  season  of  (ripe)  figs.  Jesus  must  have  come  in  the  hope  that 
possibly  he  might  find  a  few  figs  ripe  in  advance  of  the  season.  "  He 
found  nothing  but  leaves":  not  even  green  figs;  the  tree  bore  leaves 
only.  Vs.  14,  "no  man  eat  fruit  from  thee  henceforward  forever": 
The  fig  tree  whose  lack  of  figs,  while  having  leaves,  makes  it  a  sig- 
nificant symbol  of  a  people  abundant  in  profession,  but  lacking  in  good 
works  {cf.  Matt.  7  :  20  ff.),  Jesus  uses  to  symbolize  the  curse  that  falls 
upon  such  people.  The  act  is  an  acted  parable,  having  its  whole  sig- 
nificance in  its  symbolic  meaning. 

^277.  Notes  on  §  121,  Mark  11  :  15-19. — The  cleansing  of  the  tem- 
ple recorded  by  the  synoptists  as  an  event  immediately  following  the 
triumphal  entry  was  a  part   of  Jesus'  public   announcement  of    his 


TRIUMPHAL    ENTRY    AND    CLEANSING    OF    THE    TEMPLE         223 

messiahship.  In  it  he  was  protected  by  the  popularity  evidenced  by  the 
enthusiasm  shown  during  his  public  entry  into  the  city  {cf.  vs.  i8). 
Vs.  1 6.  The  same  proscription  of  the  use  of  the  temple  area  as  a 
"short-cut"  between  different  quarters  of  the  city  was  made  by  the 
rabbis.  Vs.  17  contains  a  noble  protest  against  the  prostitution  of  a 
sacred  place.  From  these  words  of  Jesus  it  is  apparent  that  he  was 
not  an  open  opponent  of  the  temple,  but  rather  of  the  abuse  of  their 
office  by  the  priests  who  were  using  or  allowing  others  to  use  the 
temple  courts  as  a  place  for  selling  the  animals  intended  for  sacrifice 
{cf.  ^75).  Matthew  (21  :  15)  adds  the  account  of  the  shouting  of  the 
children  in  the  temple.  They  were  evidently  continuing  the  enthusi- 
asm of  the  crowds  of  disciples.  The  reply  of  Jesus  to  the  objec- 
tions of  the  scribes  and  priests  is  a  distinct  acceptance  of  the  messianic 
title.  Vs.  18.  After  these  events  there  was  nothing  left  to  the  religious 
authorities  except  to  bring  their  plot  to  its  consummation  as  soon  as 
possible.  But  their  way  was  still  closed.  Judas  alone,  as  it  proved, 
could  aid  them. 

On  the  question  as  to  the  identification  of  this  cleansing  of  the  temple 
recorded  by  the  synoptists  with  that  recorded  by  John  see  ^75.  The  evidence 
for  such  identification  is  weighty,  if  not  convincing.  The  chief  question  is 
as  to  whether  John  or  the  synoptists  have  introduced  the  account  in  its  true 
chronological  connection.  If  the  synoptic  order  be  chronologically  correct, 
important  changes  in  the  chronology  of  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus  would 
necessarily  follow. 

^278.  Notes  on  §122,  Mark  11  :  20-25. — Vs.  20,  "As  they  passed  by 
in  the  morning"  :  /.  <f.,  of  the  third  day  counting  from  the  day  of  the 
triumphal  entry  as  the  first.  Vs.  22,  "And  Jesus  answering  saith 
unto  them.  Have  faith  in  God  "  :  at  first  thought  a  strange  lesson  to  be 
drawn  from  the  incident.  The  link  of  connection  is  probably  in  the 
nation  of  Israel,  of  which  the  fig  tree,  with  its  leaves  but  no  fruit,  was 
a  most  fitting  symbol,  and  which,  on  the  other  hand,  stood,  by  reason 
of  its  unfruitfulness,  as  a  mountain  (vs.  23)  in  the  path  of  the  king- 
dom of  God.  The  withering  of  the  tree  symbolizes  the  overthrow  of 
the  nation,  and  suggests  the  great  lesson  that  all  things  that  stand  in 
the  way  of  God's  kingdom,  though  they  be  mountain-high,  shall  be 
removed.  Vss.  24,  25  seem  to  pass  to  the  general  subject  of  prayer. 
If  they  are  to  be  connected  with  the  specific  thought  of  vs.  23,  it 
must  be,  first  (vs.  24),  as  teaching  that  there  is  no  achievement  at 
which  faith  need  stagger  ;  God  is  able  to  do  all  things  for  those  who 
believe  ;  and,  second  (vs.  25),  as  reminding  us  that  in  praying  for  the 


224  LI^E    OF    CHRIST 

removal  of  obstacles  (such  as  the  people  of  the  Jews  was)  it  must  be  in 
no  vindictive  spirit,  but  with  that  of  forgiveness.  Jesus  can  pray  that 
God  will  remove  the  Jewish  people  out  of  the  way  of  the  progress  of 
the  kingdom,  but  will  also  pray  :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do." 

Matthew's  order  differs  from  Mark's  in  §§119-122  by  the  fact  that 
Matthew  carries  back  the  cleansing  of  the  temple  to  connect  it  with  the 
triumphal  entry,  with  which  it  was  doubtless  associated  in  his  mind,  and  in 
like  manner  connects  Jesus'  comment  on  the  withering  of  the  fig  tree  with 
the  event  itself. 

^279.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  Give  an 
account  of  the  triumphal  entry.  (2)*  What  was  the  purpose 
of  Jesus  in  planning  and  permitting  it  ?  (3)  In  what  sense  did 
it  mark  a  new  policy  on  his  part  ?  (4)*  Why  did  Jesus  lament 
over  Jerusalem?  (5)  Can  we  imagine  what  would  have  been 
the  result  to  the  world  if  the  religious  leaders  of  the  Jews  had 
accepted  Jesus  as  the  Christ  and  had  substituted  zeal  for  the 
kingdom,  as  Jesus  understood  it,  for  their  hope  of  political 
independence  and  supremacy  ?  (6)*  Tell  the  story  of  the 
cursing  of  the  fig  tree.  (7)*  What  lessons  was  it  intended  and 
used  by  Jesus  to  teach?  (8)*  Describe  the  cleansing  of  the 
temple.  (9)*  What  was  its  significance  and  what  were  its 
results?  (10)  Was  Jesus  attacking  the  temple?  (11)  Are 
places  of  worship  to  be  kept  sacred  today  ?  What  is  it  to  keep 
a  church  sacred  to  the  service  of  God  ? 

^280.  Constructive  Work.  —  Write  chap,  xxix  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  describing  the  entry  of  Jesus  into  Jerusalem,  his  cursing  of  the 
fig  tree,  and  the  cleansing  of  the  temple,  bringing  out  clearly  the  sig- 
nificance of  each  as  related  to  Jesus'  presentation  of  himself  to  the 
nation  as  the  Messiah, 

^281.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  route  of  the  triumphal  entry. 

2.  The  ass  and  the  horse  among  orientals. 

3.  The  extent  to  which  Jesus  intentionally  fulfilled  prophecy. 

4.  Were  there  two  cleansings  of  the  temple  or  one  ? 

5.  The  element  of  symbolism  in  the  miracles  of  Jesus. 

6.  The  method  of  Jesus  in  his  presentation  of  himself  as  the 
Messiah. 


CONFLICT    WITH    THE    JEWISH    RULERS  22$ 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CONFLICT    WITH    THE    JEWISH    RULERS,    FORESHADOWING    THE    END. 

§  123.  Christ's  authority  challenged. 

Matt.  21  :  23-27.  Mark  11  :  27-33.  Luke  20  : 1-8. 

§  124.  Three  parables  of  warning. 

Matt.  21  :  28—22  :  14.    Mark  12  :  1-12.  Luke  20  :  9-19. 

§  125.  Three  questions  by  the  Jewish  rulers. 

Matt.  22  :  15-40.  Mark  12  :  13-34.  Luke  20  :  20-40. 

§  126.  Christ's  unanswerable  question. 

Matt.  22  :  41-46.  Mark  12  :  35-37.  Luke  20  :  41-44. 

§127.  The  discourse  against  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 

Matt.,  chap.  23.  Mark  12  :  38-40.  Luke  20  : 45-47. 

^282.  Notes  on  §123,  Mark  11  :  27-33.^ — Vs.  27,  "the  chief  priests," 
etc.:  the  three  classes  here  named  constituted  the  Sanhedrin,  which 
thus  officially  took  up  the  attack  on  Jesus.  Vs.  28,  "  these  things"  : 
the  reference  is  doubtless  especially  to  the  cleansing  of  the  temple. 
Vs.  29,  "I  will  ask  of  you  one  question":  Had  their  question  not 
been  insincere,  as  their  answer  to  his  shows  it  was,  Jesus  would  doubt- 
less have  answered  them  very  differently.  The  answer  he  gave  silenced 
them  and  left  him  with  the  prestige  of  victory.  Yet  it  contained  also 
a  real  reply  to  their  question.  John  had  neither  the  authorization  of 
other  rabbis  or  the  Sanhedrin,  nor  the  authentication  of  signs  from 
heaven.  The  character  of  his  message  was  the  evidence  of  his  mission, 
and  the  people  generally  recognized  him  as  a  prophet  (vs.  32).  Had 
the  leaders  of  the  people  been  willing  to  accept  such  evidence  as  this, 
they  would  have  recognized  both  the  prophetic  authority  of  John  and 
the  messianic  authority  of  Jesus.  It  was  their  blindness  to  evidence 
of  this  kind  that  prevented  their  believing  John  and  accepting  Jesus. 
If  they  had  believed  John,  they  must  also  have  accepted  Jesus,  because 
the  mission  of  both  was  attested  by  the  same  kind  of  moral  evidence, 
as  well  as  because  John  testified  to  Jesus.  Notice,  in  passing,  the  hold 
John  still  had  upon  the  people  (vs.  32).  It  continued  for  years.  See 
Acts  19  :  1-7. 

^  283.  Notes  on  §  124,  Mark  12  :  1-12. —  The  parable  here  given  has 
to  do,  not  with  a  simple  truth  or  duty,  but  with  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  such.  Its  details  are  therefore  of  significance.  The  vineyard  is  the 
kingdom  of  God ;  its  owner  is  God ;  the  servants  are  the  prophets  ;  the 
son  is  Jesus  ;  the  wicked  husbandmen  are  the  Jews.  The  chief  teach- 
ing is  plain  and  is  stated  in  vss.  9,  10 :  the  Jews  in  refusing  to  listen  to 


226  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

the  prophets  and  Jesus  had  brought  upon  themselves  divine  punishment, 
and,  as  is  distinctly  stated  in  Matthew's  account  (21  :  43),  the  kingdom 
of  God  was  to  be  taken  from  them  and  given  to  the  gentiles  (vs.  9  ). 
The  scriptural  quotation  enforces  this  lesson  of  the  parable.  (Matt. 
21  :  44  was  probably  added  by  some  copyist  from  Luke  20  :  18,  where 
Luke  has  characteristically  added  it  as  his  own  comment  upon  the 
quotation  of  Jesus.)  The  displacement  of  the  Jews  by  the  gentiles 
was  a  divine  act.  That  the  announcement  of  it  by  Jesus  should  rouse 
the  hostility  of  the  leaders  of  the  Jews  (vs.  12)  is  easy  to  understand. 
They  saw  that  he  was  attacking  their  faithlessness  to  their  divinely 
appointed  duty,  just  as  before  he  had  rebuked  their  profanation  of  the 
temple.     Again  their  only  reply  was  to  plot  violence. 

^284.  Notes  on  §124,  Matt.  21  :  28 — 22  :  14. —  Matthew  has  here 
grouped  three  parables  of  warning  addressed  by  Jesus  to  the  religious 
leaders  of  his  people.  The  second,  that  of  the  unfaithful  keepers  of 
the  vineyard,  is  that  of  Mark  12  :  1-12;  the  first  is  peculiar  to 
Matthew;  and  the  third  is,  in  part,  parallel  with  that  of  Luke  14  :  15- 
24.  All  three  are  concerned  with  the  relations  of  different  classes  of 
people  to  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  lesson  of  the  parable  of  the  Two  Brothers  (vss.  28-32)  is 
explicitly  stated  by  Jesus  in  vss.  31,  32  :  the  religious  leaders,  because 
of  their  refusal  to  accept  the  Baptist's  call  to  repentance,  were  showing 
themselves  less  ready  to  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  than  members  of 
the  most  abandoned  classes  who  had  obeyed  his  call  {cf.  Luke  7  :  29, 
30).  Promises  are  less  true  indications  of  character  than  actions 
Notice  again  the  high  estimate  Jesus  puts  upon  John  the  Baptist. 

On  the  parable  of  the  Vineyard  see  ^  283. 

The  parable  of  the  Marriage  Feast.  Vs.  3,  "  to  call  them  that  were 
bidden"  :  It  is  customary  among  the  Arabs  to  send  out  two  invita- 
tions. For  those  who  have  accepted  the  first  to  decline  the  second  is 
tantamount  to  a  declaration  of  war  or  blood-feud.  This  custom  is 
very  ancient  and  explains  the  anger  of  the  king  (vs.  7).  The  declina- 
tion of  his  second  invitation  was  evidence  of  treason.  Through  vs. 
10  the  parable  has  the  same  teaching  as  that  of  Luke  14:  15-24  (see 
^236).  It  is  not  clear  whether  or  not  the  addition  in  vss.  11-14  is  a 
separate  parable.  If,  as  some  say,  it  was  customary  for  rich  men  to 
keep  special  garments  to  be  worn  at  their  feasts,  not  to  take  the  gar- 
ment offered  would  be  to  insult  the  host.  But  such  a  supposition  is, 
after  all,  not  necessary  for  the  teaching  of  the  parable.  In  any  case, 
a  man  who  makes  no  preparation  for  a   formal  dinner  must  hold   its 


CONFLICT    WITH    THE    JEWISH    RULERS  22/ 

giver  cheap.  The  application  is,  therefore,  plain  :  the  generosity  of 
God  cannot,  with  safety,  be  treated  contemptuously.  Though  men 
are  to  enter  the  kingdom  from  the  least  likely  classes,  it  itself  is  not 
to  lose  anything  of  the  honor  due  it.  A  man  cannot  sin  because 
grace  abounds.  Vs.  13  has  no  reference  to  hell,  but  to  the  crowd  of 
persons  who  had  been  refused  access  to  the  lighted  banquet  hall,  and 
who  stood  about  in  disappointment  and  rage.  By  analogy,  however,  it 
suggests  the  loss  and  miserable  disappointment  of  those  who  are  not 
members  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  therefore  cannot  share  in  its 
blessings. 

^285.  Notes  on  §125,  Mark  12:13-34. — Vs.  13,  "Herodians": 
those  who  favored  the  rule  of  the  Herodian  family.  Under  ordinary 
circumstances  they  were  cordially  hated  by  the  Pharisees.  The  union 
of  the  two  groups  in  opposition  to  Jesus  shows  how  dangerous  his  influ- 
ence was  judged  by  them  to  be.  "  To  catch  him  in  talk  ":  /.  ^.,  to  force 
from  him  some  treasonable,  blasphemous,  or  foolish  answer,  which 
would  give  them  an  excuse  for  arresting  him.  Luke  20:  20  enlarges 
upon  the  method  of  their  procedure.  Vs.  14.  These  words,  though 
probably  insincere,  were  none  the  less  a  good  characterization  of  Jesus 
as  a  teacher.  A  less  balanced  person  than  he  would  have  been  flattered 
by  them  into  giving  the  direct  answer  the  questioners  wanted.  Vs.  15. 
To  appreciate  the  full  force  of  this  question  as  to  the  tribute  it  is  neces- 
sary to  remember  that  Jesus  was  now  in  Judea,  which,  unlike  Galilee, 
was  subject  and  paid  taxes  directly  to  Rome.  "  Penny":  a  denarius. 
Many  have  been  preserved.  They  have  the  head  and  name  of  the 
emperor  stamped  upon  them.  Vs.  17.  The  use  of  Roman  money  by 
the  Jews  reflected  the  fact  that  they  were  actually  under  Roman  rule 
and  protection,  and  committed  them  to  an  admission  of  Roman  sover- 
eignty. They,  therefore,  owed  their  recognized  governors  taxes. 
That  the  use  of  the  Roman  coins  did  carry  with  it  such  an  admission 
is  to  be  seen  in  the  fact  that  in  their  revolt  the  Jews  stamped  out  the 
face  and  name  of  Caesar.  To  make  of  this  saying  a  summary  of  the 
relations  of  church  and  state  is  to  find  in  it  something  remote  from 
Jesus'  purpose.  That  in  giving  an  answer  of  which  his  enemies  could 
not  lay  hold  to  his  injury  he  should  have  reminded  them  of  their 
obligation  to  the  government  to  which  they  were  in  fact  subject  (thus 
implying  that  the  true  kingdom  of  God  was  not  national),  and  should 
also  have  recalled  them  to  their  forgotten  duties  to  God,  is  wholly  in 
accordance  with  his  character  as  a  moral  and  religious  teacher.  That 
he  should  have  recognized  the  legitimacy  of  government  was  in  accord 


228  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

With  his  entire  spirit.  Jesus  was  as  far  as  possible  from  being  a  gentle 
anarchist.  (See  Mathews,  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus  ^  chap.  5.)  It  is 
not  always  or  often  necessary  for  the  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
to  turn  revolutionists.  The  watchword  of  the  Christian  is  not  "  My 
rights,"  but  "  My  duties  ". 

Vs.  18  introduces  a  question  that  has  proved  puzzling  to  others 
than  the  Jews.  The  Sadducees  believed  in  no  resurrection,  and  their 
question  was  intended  to  show  the  absurdity  of  such  a  belief.  On 
their  assumption  that  the  resurrection  consisted  in  a  reestablishment 
of  the  present  physical  life  —  a  belief  that  is  not  even  yet  quite  out- 
grown —  it  was  unanswerable.  Jesus  attacks,  not  the  question,  but  the 
assumption.  Vs.  19,  **  Moses  wrote,"  etc. :  Deut.  25:5,6;  ^/.  Gen. 
38:8.  This  brother-in-law  (Levirate)  marriage  was  common  among 
the  Semitic  peoples.  Vs.  24.  The  two  sources  of  the  Sadducees'  error 
are  still  the  sources  of  false  teachings.  Vs.  25,  "  are  as  angels  : "  do 
not  live  an  earthly,  bodily  life.  This  is  the  only  distinct  teaching 
of  Jesus  as  regards  the  form  of  the  risen  dead.  It  is  entirely  in  accord 
with  that  of  Paul  in  i  Cor.,  chap.  15.  Luke  (20:34-36)  elaborates 
the  thought.  Resurrection  is  not  mere  reanimation  of  dead  bodies. 
Vs.  26.  Not  content  with  this  express  teaching  as  to  resurrection, 
Jesus  goes  on  to  show  that  immortality  (which  was  what  the  Sadducees 
really  denied  and  because  of  this  denied  the  resurrection)  was  involved 
in  the  Old  Testament.  "  The  book  of  Moses  "  :  /.  <f.,  the  Pentateuch  ; 
Jesus  was  using  the  current  title  and  was  not  thinking  of  questions  of 
authorship.  "The  bush":  i.  e.,  the  section  of  the  Pentateuch  con- 
taining the  story  of  the  burning  bush,  Exod.,  chap.  3.  Vss.  26,  27.  The 
argument  is  either  (i)  purely  formal  (turning  on  the  implied  tense  of 
an  unexpressed  verb,  and  valid  only  as  addressed  to  men  accustomed 
themselves  to  argue  after  this  fashion);  God  says,  "I  am  the  God  "  of 
those  long  since  dead  ;  but  "  God  is  the  God  of  the  living  ;  "  therefore 
the  patriarchs  were  still  alive,  possessed  of  immortality  ;  or  (2)  rests 
on  the  attitude  of  God  to  men  implied  in  the  words,  "  I  am  the  God," 
etc.  :  the  eternal  God,  in  his  love  for  the  patriarchs  (and  for  all  good 
men),  could  not  have  allowed  them  to  perish  utterly.  The  eternity 
of  a  loving  Father  thus  implies  the  immortality  of  loving  children. 

Vss.  28-34  are  less  controversial  than  their  parallel  in  Matthew 
(22  :  34-40).  The  question  of  the  scribe  (vs.  28)  was  one  frequently 
asked.  In  vss.  29-31  Jesus  gives  the  customary  answer  of  the  rabbis. 
It  cannot  be  improved  as  a  summary  of  human  duties.  It  was 
nothing  new,  for  it  was  quoted  from  Deut.  6  :  5  and  Lev.  19:18.     In 


CONFLICT    WITH    THE    JEWISH    RULERS  229 

Matt.  22  140  Jesus  adds  the  teaching  that  in  such  "love"  is  summed 
up  the  law  and  the  prophets.  It  was  his  "  new  commandment"  (John 
13  •■  34  j  15  *  12-17).  ^ss.  32,  33  show  the  honesty  of  the  scribe,  and 
his  perception  of  the  relative  value  in  religion  of  inward  character  and 
outward  ceremonial.  It  was  this  that  led  to  the  remark  of  Jesus,  vs. 
34.  A  man  who  could  make  such  distinctions  had  grasped  one  of  the 
greatest  elements  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus.  "And  no  man  after  that 
durst  ask  him  any  question  "  :  The  plan  of  the  Sanhedrin  had  failed. 
Jesus  thereupon  assumed  the  offensive. 

^286.  Notes  on.  §  126,  Mark  12:35-37.  —  In  these  verses  Jesus 
attacks  the  current  belief  that  the  Christ  was  to  be  the  "son  of  David," 
in  the  commonly  accepted  sense,  /.  ^.,  a  political  ruler.  His  argument 
is  ad  hominem  against  the  scribes.  The  purpose  of  the  question  is  both 
to  break  the  prestige  of  the  scribes  as  religious  teachers,  and  to  develop 
by  contrast  Jesus'  own  conception  of  messiahship  as  something  unpoliti- 
cal. Vs.  36.  The  quotation  is  from  Ps.  1 10,  which  all  Jews  believed  to 
be  written  by  David.  The  point  of  the  argument  is  clear  :  David's 
words  would  make  the  Messiah  greater  than  his  son.  Any  teaching 
as  to  the  Messiah,  therefore,  should  make  him  something  more  than 
a  Jewish  king.  Thus  again  Jesus  makes  a  Jewish  hope  universal  by 
removing  its  purely  Jewish  element.  Messianism  remained,  but  not 
that  of  the  rabbis,  centering  about  national  deliverance  and  glory,  but 
that  of  Jesus,  looking  toward  divine  deliverance  from  sin  and  the 
establishment  of  a  regenerate  humanity  in  which  men  should  be 
brothers  because  they  were  sons  of  God.  No  wonder  the  common 
people  heard  such  an  enemy  of  religious  monopoly  gladly. 

•^287.  Notes  on  §127,  Matt.,  chap.  23. —  In  place  of  the  very  brief 
warning  against  the  scribes,  which  Mark  and  Luke  report  at  this  point, 
Matthew  has  an  extended  discourse  largely  addressed  directly  to  the 
Pharisees.  Portions  of  this  discourse  (see,  e.g.,  vss.  4,  6,  13,  23-25,  29, 
34-36)  are  found  also  in  Luke,  especially  in  his  chap.  1 1  (with  vss. 
37-39  cf.  also  Luke  13:34,  35),  but  much  of  it  is  given  by  Matthew 
only  (vss.  2,  3,  8-12,  15-22,  27,  28). 

Vs.  2,  "  the  scribes  and  the  Pharisees  sit  in  Moses'  seat "  :  they 
are  the  teachers  and  leaders  of  the  people ;  however  faulty  their  con- 
duct, on  them  rests  the  responsibility  of  guiding  this  generation.  Vs. 
3,  "  all  things,"  etc.:  the  emphasis,  of  course,  is  on  «<?/ doing  after  their 
works.  Yet  it  remains  that  Jesus  does  enjoin  the  following  of  their 
teaching.  And  this  can  only  mean  that  he  did  not  desire  to  bring 
about  an  abrupt  break  with  the  past,  but,  recognizing  that  the  majority 


230 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


of  the  people  must  always  follow  the  leaders  of  thought,  desired  not 
that  men  should  suddenly  break  away  from  the  teachings  of  the 
scribes,  but  should  follow  them  till,  under  the  influence  of  his  own 
teaching  and  of  providential  circumstances,  better  leaders  should  arise. 
Vs.  4,  "  they  bind  heavy  burdens,"  etc. :  burdensome  duties  which 
the  scribes  endeavored  to  impose  upon  men,  such  as  punctilious 
tithing,  discrimination  of  clean  and  unclean  foods,  minute  sabbath 
regulations  {cf.  Acts  15  :  lo).  "  Will  not  move  them"  :  not,  will  not 
themselves  keep  these  regulations,  but  give  no  help  to  others  whose 
circumstances  may  make  the  keeping  of  them  far  more  difficult.  Vs. 
5  ;  cf.  Matt.  6:  1-18.  Vss.  8-12  inculcate  the  spirit  of  humility  and 
mutual  service  as  against  that  of  selfish  pride  and  ambition  {cf.  Mark 
10:42-45).  The  injunctions  of  vss.  8-10  must  be  interpreted  in  the 
light  of  this  fact. 

The  words  of  vss.  13-36  addressed  to  the  Pharisees  do  not  neces- 
sarily imply  that  they  were  present  on  this  occasion  ;  the  words  may 
rather  be  intended  to  be  taken  as  rhetorical  apostrophe.  Many  of 
these  sayings  are  reported  by  Luke  (chap.  1 1)  as  spoken  at  a  Pharisee's 
table.  Vs.  13,  "  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering"  :  by  throw- 
ing their  influence  as  religious  teachers  against  Jesus,  they  dissuaded 
men  from  accepting  the  truth.  Vs.  15,  "twofold  more  a  son  of  hell 
than  yourselves  "  :  the  Pharisees,  having  no  clear  conception  of  the 
spirituality  of  religion,  made  converts  to  Judaism  who  came  without 
any  spiritual  change,  and  from  various  unworthy  motives  ;  and  such  a 
man  was  not  only  no  better  for  having  changed  his  religion,  he  was 
worse,  and  often  worse  than  the  men  who  converted  him.  Of  course 
not  all  proselytes  were  of  this  character.  Many  were  drawn  by  a  true 
apprehension  of  the  truth  of  Judaism.  Cf.  here  Mark  12  :  40  (=  vs.  14 
of  Matthew  in  the  common  version),  and  notice  how  severely  in  this 
verse  and  vss.  13,  15  Jesus  denounces  those  who,  setting  themselves 
up  as  the  especial  representatives  of  religion,  were  in  reality  wicked 
men.  Cf.  Malachi's  denunciation  of  "  worship  and  wickedness"  (Mai., 
chaps.  I,  2). 

Vss.  16-22  refer  to  the  casuistry  of  the  scribes  by  which,  under 
guise  of  making  fine  moral  distinctions,  they  converted  the  law  agains 
breaking  oaths  (Lev.  19:12;  Numb.  30:  2)  into  a  device  for  justifying 
themselves  in  the  breaking  of  promises.  See  the  slightly  different  but 
essentially  similar  instances  referred  to  in  Matt.  5  :  33-37.  Both  here 
and  there  Jesus  insists  that  all  such  evasions  are  mischievous  and  vain, 
since  any  oath  is  really  an  oath  by  Jehovah,  /.  e.,  mvolves  an  appeal  to 


CONFLICT    WITH    THE    JEWISH    RULERS  23 1 

him,  since  all  is  his  (vs.  21).  In  Matt.  5  :  33-37  he  bids  men  swear 
not  at  all,  but  speak  the  truth  and  faithfully  keep  what  is  said.  On 
vss.  23-36  see  Tl  227,  and  on  vss.  37-39  see  T232.  It  is  impossible 
to  say  with  certainty  when  and  where  this  sad  lament  over  Jerusa- 
lem was  uttered,  but  inasmuch  as  this  chapter  (Matt.  23)  is  apparently 
made  up  of  sayings  of  Jesus  which  he  uttered  at  different  times,  and 
which  the  evangelist  gathered  together  in  one  place  in  order  to  show 
Jesus'  stern  attitude  toward  the  hypocrisy  of  the  scribes,  the  position 
of  Luke  seems  to  be  preferable.  Time  and  place  are  in  any  case  of 
little  importance  compared  with  the  significance  of  the  utterance  itself. 


^288.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)*  How 
did  Jesus  meet  the  question  of  the  Sanhedrin  as  to  his  authority? 
(2)  Would  he  have  answered  honest  inquirers  in  the  same  way? 
(3)*  How  did  his  question  convey  an  answer  to  theirs  ?  What  is 
the  basis  of  the  authority  of  Jesus  ? 

(4)*  What  three  parables  of  warning  does  Matthew  record 
as  addressed  by  Jesus  to  the  Jews?  (5)  State  the  substance 
and  meaning  of  each  as  it  applied  to  the  Jews  then.  (6)  Put 
the  teaching  of  each  in  general  terms  applicable  to  all  times, 
and  suggest  applications  to  our  own  day.  (7)  What  feeling 
and  purpose  did  these  parables  rouse  in  the  Jews  ? 

(8)*  What  were  the  three  questions  by  which  his  enemies 
hoped  to  embarrass  Jesus?  (9)*  In  answering,  them  what  does 
Jesus  teach  as  to  politics  ?  (10)*  What  as  to  the  resurrection? 
(11)*  What  as  to  the  chief  duties  of  men? 

(12)*  What  question  did  Jesus  ask  the  scribes?  (13)  What 
was  the  point  of  his  argument?  (14)  In  his  use  of  the  Old 
Testament,  does  Jesus  attempt  to  give  definite  teaching  as  to  the 
authorship  of  its  various  books?  (15)  Should  we  have  to 
change  our  interpretation  of  Jesus'  teaching  as  to  the  character 
of  the  Messiah  or  our  estimate  of  the  effectiveness  of  his  argu- 
ment for  the  scribes  to  whom  he  spoke,  if  we  should  discover 
that  Ps.  no  was  not  written  by  David? 

(16)*  Name  some  of  the  vices  for  which  Jesus  denounced 
the  Pharisees.  (17)  Do  such  vices  exist  today  ?  In  what  form 
do  we  need  to  be  on  our  guard  against  them  ?     (18)  What  is  the 


232 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


remedy  for  Phariseeism  ?  (19)  Why  did  Jesus  bid  men  follow 
the  teachings  of  the  scribes  ?  (20)  Was  Jesus  a  revolutionist  or 
an  iconoclast  in  religion  ?  in  morals  ?  in  politics  ? 

^[289.    Constructive   Work.— Write    chap,   xxx   of   your  "Life    of 
Christ,"  bringing  out  as  clearly  as  possible  the  real   causes  of   differ- 
ence and  point  at  issue  between  Jesus  and  the  Jewish  rulers,  discrimi-   / 
nating  as  far  as  may  be  the  different  elements  which  now  united  in  \ 
opposing  him.     Make  it  clear  what  Jesus'  attitude  to  the  nation  was. 

^290.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  basis  of  Jesus'  authority  to  cleanse  the  temple. 

2.  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  temple  and  its  services. 

3.  The  relation  of  the  Jewish  state  to  Rome,  as  the  background  of 
the  question  about  tribute. 

4.  Different  ideas  among  the  Jews  concerning  life  after  death. 

S  ALMOND,  Christian  Doctrine  of  Immortality;  Charles,  Critical  History  of  the 
Doctrine  of  a  Future  Life. 

5.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  immortality  and  resurrection. 


THE  MOSQUE  OF  OMAR,  OCCUPYING  IN  PART  THE  SITE  OF  THE  ANCIENT  TEMPLE 

(C/.  view  on  p.  221) 


JESUS     LAST    WORDS    IN    THE    TEMPLE  233 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

JESUS'    LAST    WORDS    IN    THE    TEMPLE. 

§128.  The  widow's  two  mites. 

Mark  12  :  41-44.        Luke  21  : 1-4. 
§129.  Gentiles  seeking  Jesus.  John  12:20-36. 

§130.  The  Jews'  rejection  of  Christ.  John  12  :37-5o. 

^291.  Notes  on  §128,  Mark  12:41-44. — Vs.  41,  "over  against  the 
treasury  "  :  in  the  so-called  court  of  the  women,  along  the  side  of  which 
were  the  trumpet-shaped  vessels  to  receive  the  gifts  of  the  people. 
See  diagram,  p.  68.  "Cast  money  into  the  treasury":  free-will  offer- 
ings for  the  temple,  apparently.  Vs.  42,  "  two  mites"  :  about  equal  to 
two-fifths  of  a  cent,  or  about  one-fortieth  of  a  laborer's  day's  washes. 
Vs.  43,  "cast  in  more  than  they  all":  as  always,  Jesus' estimate  of 
men  and  their  actions  is  based  on  the  state  of  heart  which  these 
actions  reflect.  The  widow's  gift,  for  the  reason  given  in  vs.  44,  rep- 
resented more  devotion  of  heart  to  the  interests  of  religion  than  that 
of  any  of  the  rich  that  gave  much. 

^292.  Notes  on  §129,  John  12:20-36. — Vs.  20,  "Greeks"  :  gen- 
tiles, yet,  as  appears  from  the  words  "  among  those  that  went  up  to 
worship  at  the  feast,"  gentiles  who  had  become  worshipers  of  Jehovah, 
but  probably  not  circumcised  proselytes.  Cf.  the  case  of  Cornelius, 
Acts  10:1,  2.  Vs.  21,  "to  Philip":  why  to  him  we  cannot  tell. 
Philip  and  Andrew  are  among  the  disciples  of  whom  this  gospel 
speaks  more  than  once ;  perhaps  they  were  associated  with  John  in 
later  years.  Vs.  22,  "they  tell  Jesus":  Whether  Jesus  actually  saw 
the  Greeks  is  left  unsaid,  the  writer's  interest  being  in  the  words 
of  Jesus  occasioned  by  this  request.  But  we  cannot  doubt  that  he 
granted  the  request.  Vs.  23,  "the  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  man 
should  be  glorified  "  :  viz.,  by  being  accepted  by  men,  as  the  com- 
ing of  these  Greeks  suggested  that  he  would  be.  Vs.  24,  "except  a 
grain  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone"  :  this  is 
the  other  side  of  the  truth  which  at  once  presents  itself  to  Jesus'  mind. 
He  is  to  be  glorified,  but  only  through  dying.  The  path  to  the  suc- 
cess of  his  mission  is  the  path  of  self-devotion,  which  is  for  him  the 
path  of  death.  Vs.  25,  "  he  that  loveth  his  life  loseth  it ":  cf.  Mark  8  :  34, 
35,  and  notice  how  there  and  here  Jesus  passes  from  the  necessity  of 
his  own  death  to  the  general  principle  that  applies  to  all.  "  Hateth 
his  life  in  this  world  "  :  /.  e.,  counts  continuing  to  live  this  present  bodily 


234  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

life  as  a  matter  of  little  consequence  compared  with  the  attainment  of 
eternal  life,  as  even  hateful  to  him  if  it  cost  him  eternal  life.  This  is 
not  simply  a  maxim  of  prudence,  foregoing  a  little  life  to  gain  a 
longer  one.  The  two  words  translated  ''life  "  are  different  words,  the 
first  denoting  physical  existence  and  its  accompanying  opportunities 
and  possibilities,  the  second  denoting  the  existence  of  a  moral  being 
according  to  God's  ideal  for  such  existence.  He  that  loves  the  former 
thing  and  clings  to  it  loses  it  by  failing  to  make  the  highest  use  of  it. 
He  that,  counting  it  worthless  in  itself,  is  ready  to  surrender  it,  really 
saves  it,  and  through  it  attains  eternal  life,  i.  e.,  fellowship  with  God 
{cf.  John  17:3),  which  is  in  its  nature  endless.  Vs.  26,  "if  any 
man  serve  me,  let  him  follow  me":  cf.  again  Mark  8:34.  "And 
where  I  am,  there  shall  my  servant  be  also":  these  words  are 
usually  understood  as  a  promise  of  heavenly  bliss,  but  perhaps  rather 
mean  that,  in  his  suffering  and  self-sacriiice,  the  disciple  shall  share 
with  him  {cf.  Mark  10:39;  Matt.  10:24,25;  John  15:18-21),  the 
promise  of  reward  being  first  expressed  in  the  words,  "  him  will  the 
Father  honor."  Vs.  27,  "now  is  my  soul  troubled":  in  view  of  the 
thought  of  the  death  he  was  to  die.  To  the  last  and  increasingly 
Jesus  shrank  with  dread  from  his  death  at  the  hands  of  his  people. 
"Father,  save  me  from  this  hour":  a  prayer  expressing  his  natural 
desire  not  to  be  put  to  death  by  sinful  men  ;  not  to  have  shrunk 
from  this,  in  view  of  the  sin  that  was  involved  in  it  for  men,  would 
itself  have  been  sinful.  "But  for  this  cause  came  I  to  this  hour": 
dreadful  as  it  is,  it  is  nevertheless  duty  ;  and  this  is  the  other  side  of 
his  desire;  and  hence  the  petition,  "Father,  glorify  thy  name."  Vs. 
30,  "not  for  my  sake,  but  for  your  sakes":  the  voice  doubtless  had 
for  him  a  significance  in  strengthening  him  to  endure  what  he  had  to 
endure ;  but  the  people  needed  even  more  than  he  to  learn  that  his 
death  was  not  God's  reprobation  of  him,  but  the  achievement  of  God's 
own  purpose.  Vs.  31,  "now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world:  now 
shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out":  in  its  rejection  of  Jesus  the 
world  pronounces  sentence  on  itself,  and  in  the  apparent  triumph  of 
the  prince  of  evil  he  is  himself  defeated.  Through  his  own  death  Jesus 
will  overcome  the  evil  of  the  world,  and  will  (vs.  33)  "draw  all  men 
unto"  himself.  Vs.  34,  "how  sayest  thou,  the  Son  of  man  must  be 
lifted  up":  Jesus'  self -designation,  "the  Son  of  man,"  was  still  a  per- 
plexing one  to  the  people.  Since  his  triumphal  entry  they  knew  that  he 
claimed  to  be  the  Christ,  but  with  their  idea  of  the  Christ  they  did  not 
see  how  he  could  also  expect  to  die.    So  they  ask  whether  perhaps  after 


JESUS'    LAST    WORDS    IN    THE    TEMPLE  235 

all  the  title  "Son  of  man"  indicates  that  he  is  not  the  Christ,  but 
some  other  personage  unknown  to  them.  Vss.  35,  36,  "while  ye  have 
the  light,"  etc.:  words  of  solemn  exhortation  and  warning.  Vs.  36, 
*' departed  and  hid  himself  from  them":  with  these  words  John  marks 
the  close  of  Jesus'  public  ministry  to  the  Jews.  There  remains  only 
his  intercourse  with  his  disciples  and  his  oft-predicted  death  and 
resurrection. 

^  293.  Notes  on  §  130,  John  12  :  37-50. — Vss.  37-43  are  the  evangel- 
ist's summary  of  the  results  of  Jesus'  ministry  in  Jerusalem,  so  far  as 
winning  adherents  is'concerned,  and  his  explanation  of  the  fact.  In 
general,  they  did  not  believe  on  him  (vs.  37);  yet  many,  even  of  the 
rulers,  did  believe  (vs.  42),  but  did  not  dare  profess  it.  This  unbelief 
was  in  accordance  with  the  character  of  the  Jewish  people,  as  Isaiah 
described  it  long  ago  (vss.  38-40 ;  cf.  Stephen's  similar  characteriza- 
tion of  the  nation,  Acts  7:51,  52).  But  that  the  evangelist  did  not 
mean  that  they  were  therefore  not  responsible  for  their  conduct  is 
clear  from  vss.  42,  43. 

Vss.  44-50  are  either  the  evangelist's  summary  of  Jesus'  whole 
message  to  the  people,  or  they  should  stand  before  vs.  36.  C/.  ^  206. 
Standing  after  vs.  36,  they  cannot  be  understood  as  words  actually 
uttered  by  Jesus  on  a  specific  occasion.  The  central  thought  of  the 
paragraph,  that  Jesus  came  as  God's  representative,  not  to  judge  the 
world,  but  to  bring  light  and  salvation,  and  that  he  who  receives  him 
receives  the  Father  that  sent  him  and  attains  eternal  life,  makes  it  in 
fact  a  summary  of  his  whole  mission  and  message. 


^294.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. —  (i)  Tell  the 
story  of  Jesus  in  the  treasury.  (2)*  What  element  of  Jesus 
character  does  the  event  illustrate  ?  (3)  What  instruction  does 
it  carry  for  us?  (4)*  What  did  the  coming  of  the  Greeks  who 
desired  to  see  Jesus  first  suggest  to  his  mind?  (5)  What  other 
thought  quickly  followed  it  in  his  mind?  (6)*  What  great 
principle  did  he  set  forth  in  this  connection  (John  12:24)? 
(7)*  Does  this  principle  apply  to  his  life  only,  or  to  all  men? 
(8)  Explain  John  12:25.  (9)  Explain  vs.  26.  (10)*  What 
do  you  learn  concerning  Jesus'  character  and  relation  to  God 
from  the  two  petitions  of  his  prayer  in  vss.  27,  28  ?  (ii)  What 
concerning  prayer  from  the  whole  incident?      (12)*  What  does 


236  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

Jesus  mean  by  "the  judgment  of  this  world"  in  vs.  31?  (13) 
What  does  he  mean  by  being  "lifted  uf)"  and  by  "drawing  all 
men"  to  him?  What  connection  is  there  between  the  two? 
(14)*  What  does  this  whole  incident  show  as  to  Jesus'  attitude 
toward  his  death,  and  his  thought  about  its  significance  ?  Think 
this  through  carefully  and  state  it  as  accurately  as  you  can 
(15)  Explain  the  perplexity  and  question  of  the  people  in  vs 
34.  (16)  What  is  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  Jesus'  warning 
in  vss.  35,  36? 

(17)*  Are  the  words  of  John  12  :  37-43  those  of  Jesus  or  of 
the  evangelist?  (18)*  What  is  the  writer's  explanation  of  the 
failure  of  the  Jews  to  receive  Jesus?  (19)  Are  vss.  44-50 
words  of  Jesus  actually  uttered  by  Jesus  at  this  time  ?  If  not, 
what  are  they?  (20)*  Write  out  a  careful  summary  of  what 
Jesus  says  in  these  verses,  and  consider  whether  it  in  fact  sum- 
marizes his  whole  message  to  men.  (21)  In  view  of  what  Jesus 
here  says,  can  any  one  of  us  justify  ourselves  either  in  rejecting 
him  or  in  treating  him  with  indifference  ?  What  ought  to  be 
our  attitude  to  him  ? 

^  295.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxxi  of  your  "  Life  of 
Christ,"  bringing  out  with  clearness  Jesus'  last  message  to  the  Jews  in 
the  temple,  and  conceiving  and  stating  as  clearly  as  you  can  the 
precise  situation  at  the  close  of  his  public  ministry  to  the  nation. 

^296.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  Jesus'  thought  about  the  relation  of  the  gospel  to  the  gentiles. 

2.  Jesus  as  the  Light  of  the  world  :  for  his  own  generation  ;  for  the 
present  day. 

3.  The  truth  of  Jesus'  claims  in  John  12  :  44-50,  as  tested  by  sub- 
sequent history. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

JESUS'     PREDICTION    OF   THE    END    OF    THE    NATION,    AND   THE    PLOT 

OF    HIS    ENEMIES. 

§  131,  Discourse  concerning  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Matt.,  chaps.  24,  25.         Mark,  chap.  13.         Luke  21 : 5-38. 
[Matt.  26  :  J,  2.]  [Mark  11: 19.] 

§  132.  The  conspiracy  between  the  chief  priests  and  Judas. 

Matt.  26:1-5.  Mark  14: 1,  2.  Luke  22  : 1-6. 

Matt.  26  :  14-16.  Mark  14  :  10,  11. 

^297.  Notes  on  §131,  Mark,  chap.  13. — Vs.  i,  "  Out  of  the  temple": 
the  word  denotes  the  temple  in  the  larger  sense,  not  simply  the  sanc- 
tuary; cf.  ^[75.  Vs.  2,  "these  great  buildings":  both  the  temple 
proper  and  the  surrounding  courts  and  colonnades.  "There  shall  not 
be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another":  an  expression  denoting  utter 
destruction,  but  not  to  be  interpreted  with  absolute  literalness.  The 
prediction  was  fulfilled  in  the  overthrow  of  the  city  by  the  Romans  in 
70  A.  D.  (Jos.,  War,  Books  vi,  vii;  Mathews,  New  Testament  TimeSy 
p.  205). 

Vs.  4,  "  When  shall  these  things  be,  and  what  shall  be  the  sign 
when  all  these  things  are  about  to  be  accomplished  ?  "  A  natural  ques- 
tion, which,  however,  Jesus  does  not  answer  directly.  The  discourse 
that  follows  is  mainly  devoted  to  warning  the  disciples  against  expect- 
ing these  great  events  too  soon,  and  being  in  consequence  disturbed 
and  misled.  Vss.  4-13  are  wholly  occupied  with  things  tiiat  will 
happen  before  the  fall  of  the  temple.  Vs.  6,  "saying,  I  am  be":  pro- 
fessing to  be  the  Christ,  and  claiming  authority  to  make  announce 
ments  as  to  what  was  about  to  happen.  Vss.  7,  8:  Wars,  earthquakes, 
famines  will  occur;  but  they  are  not  signs  of  the  end.  Vss.  9-13: 
And  the  disciples  of  Christ  will  have  to  suffer  persecution,  which  they 
must  endure  patiently.  Cf.  ^161.  Observe  in  vss.  9,  10  the  indica- 
tion that  Jesus,  though  expecting  death,  was  also  looking  to  the 
world-wide  proclamation  of  the  gospel.  The  rejection  of  him  by  the 
nation  and  the  overthrow  of  the  temple  meant,  not  the  defeat  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  but  its  establishment  for  all  nations. 

Vss.  14-23  deal  with  things  which  will  be  precursors  of  the  end,  /.  e., 
of  the  downfall  of  the  temple  and  of  Judaism  as  connected  with  the 

237 


238  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

temple.  Vs.  14,  "the  abomination  of  desolation":  the  phrase  is  taken 
from  Dan.  11:31;  12:11;  i  Mace.  1:54,  in  all  of  which  places  it 
doubtless  refers  (as  clearly  in  the  last,  i  Mace,  i :  54)  to  the  heathen 
sacrifices  offered  on  the  altar  of  the  Jewish  temple  in  the  time  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  As  employed  by  Jesus  it  refers  to  any  like 
desecration  of  the  temple  or  perhaps  of  the  city.  Luke  has  at  this 
point  "Jerusalem  encompassed  with  armies  "  (see  ^299).  The  paren- 
thesis "let  him  that  readeth  understand  "  is,  of  course,  not  from  Jesus, 
but  a  note  of  the  evangelist  calling  his  reader's  attention  to  this 
warning.  It  must  have  been  written  before  the  event  happened  (notice 
its  omission  by  Luke).  That  it  occurs  in  both  Matthew  and  Mark 
shows  that  one  evangelist  took  it  from  the  other  along  with  the  words 
to  which  it  calls  attention,  or  that  both  drew  it  from  an  older  gospel 
that  contained  this  discourse.  The  substance  of  the  warning  is  that, 
while  wars  and  disasters  in  general  are  not  to  be  taken  as  signs  of 
the  end,  yet  when  Jerusalem  itself  is  actually  invaded  (or  besieged), 
then  they  may  know  that  the  downfall  of  the  city  is  near,  and  that  they 
must  flee.  Vss.  15,  16  mean  simply  :  "Go  without  delay."  Vs.  19  :  The 
sufferings  of  the  Jewish  nation  in  the  siege  of  70  A.  D.  were  terrible 
beyond  belief.  (See  Josephus  as  cited  above.)  Vs.  20,  "  Except  the 
Lord  had  shortened  the  days":  except  God  had  interposed  to  limit  the 
period  of  disaster,  no  one  would  have  escaped.  Vss.  21-23  •  ^^^  even 
then  are  they  to  expect  the  Christ  to  return.  Anyone  who  announces 
his  return  is  a  false  prophet  announcing  a  false  Christ. 

Vss.  24-27  tell  of  the  awful  disasters  to  the  nation  which  were  to 
follow  the  overthrow  of  the  city,  and  of  the  establishment  of  Christ's 
kingdom  in  the  place  of  Judaism.  The  language  is  highly  figurative, 
closely  resembling  that  which  the  prophets  often  used  to  describe 
similar  events.  On  vss.  24,  25  see  Isa.  13:10;  34  :  4  ;  Ezek.  32  :  7,  8  ; 
Am.  8:9.  On  vs.  26  see  especially  Dan.  7:13.  The  reference  of  this 
verse  to  a  visible  return  of  Jesus  still  in  the  future  is  unnecessary.  i^Cf. 
Clarke,  Commentary  on  Mark;  Gould,  Commentary  on  Mark,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  whole  paragraph.) 

Vss.  28-37  return  to  speak  of  the  indications  of  the  drawing  nigh 
of  these  events,  and  are  the  nearest  approach  that  Jesus  makes  to  actu- 
ally answering  the  question  of  the  disciples  in  vs.  4.  Vss.  28,  29  tell 
them  that  when  they  see  the  temple  overthrown,  then  they  may  know 
that  Christ's  kingdom  is  drawing  near.  Vs.  30  says,  and  vs.  31 
solemnly  confirms  it,  that  all  these  things  will  happen  within  the  space 
of  a  generation,  /.  <?.,  within  the  lifetime  of  men  then  living.     Vs.  32 


PREDICTION    OF    THE    END    OF    THE    NATION  239 

affirms,  however,  that  the  exact  time  no  one  knows,  not  even  Jesus 
himself,  but  only  God.  Vss.  33-37  bid  them  therefore  be  on  their 
guard,  watching  and  praying,  always  ready,  yet  not  idly  waiting,  but 
each  at  his  own  work. 

As  a  whole,  therefore,  the  discourse  gives  no  definite  answer  to  the 
question  of  the  disciples,  except  that  all  these  things  would  happen 
within  the  lifetime  of  men  then  living.  Nor  has  it  anything  to  say 
concerning  the  "end  of  the  world,"  as  that  phrase  is  now  usually 
understood.  It  speaks  only  of  the  downfall  of  Judaism  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  Christia^iity  in  power  on  the  earth,  and  its  general  aim  is 
to  warn  them  against  expecting  these  events  too  soon  or  looking  for  a 
personal  return  of  Jesus  in  connection  with  them. 

^298.  Notes  on  §  131,  Matt.,  chaps.  24,  25. — Matt.  24  :  1-42  repro- 
duces in  the  main  the  discourse  of  Jesus  as  given  in  Mark,  chap.  13. 
The  chief  differences  are  the  following  :  Vs.  3,  "  What  shall  be  the 
sign  of  thy  coming  and  of  the  end  of  the  world?"  This  more 
expanded  form  of  the  question  seems  to  bring  in  two  ideas  not 
expressed  by  Mark,  *'  thy  coming"  and  "the  end  of  the  world."  Yet 
it  must  be  noticed  that  in  the  discourse  of  Jesus  as  given  in  Mark  he 
speaks  of  his  coming  (vs.  26),  and  that  "  the  end  of  the  world"  is  more 
exactly  "the  consummation  of  the  age,"  /.  ^.,  in  Jesus'  thought  the  con- 
clusion of  the  then  current  period  of  history,  the  end  of  the  Jewish 
dispensation  in  the  downfall  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  ushering  in  of 
Christianity  as  the  successor  of  Judaism.  Thus  Matthew's  form  of  the 
question  only  expands  Mark's  by  reading  back  into  the  question  a  part 
of  Jesus'  answer.  Mark's  form  is  doubtless  that  which  most  nearly 
represents  the  original  question. 

Vss.  10-12  are  an  addition  to  Mark's  narrative  from  Matthew's  own 
sources,  but  do  not  materially  modify  the  picture.  Vs.  14,  "and  then 
shall  the  end  come  "  :  /.  e.,  the  end  of  the  age  (see  above).  To  us  the 
phrase  naturally  suggests  the  end  of  our  age  and  our  world,  but  we 
must  bear  in  mind  of  what  and  to  whom  Jesus  was  speaking.  Our 
age  and  world  did  not  then  exist.  Jesus  was  talking  about  the  fall  of 
the  temple  to  men  whose  horizon  was  almost  bounded  by  Judaism,  and 
to  whom  the  downfall  of  the  temple  and  its  religion  was  indeed  the 
end  of  the  age.  That  to  the  disciples  and  the  evangelist  such  an 
expression  would  seem  to  mean  the  end  of  the  world,  since  they  could 
have  as  yet  no  conception  of  the  Christian  centuries,  which  are  to  us 
familiar  past  history,  is  altogether  probable.  But  to  give  to  the  words 
the  sense  that  they  would  naturally  bear  for  us  if  uttered  today,  then 


240  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

to  assume  that  the  disciples  understood  them  in  that  sense,  and  finally 
that  Jesus  meant  them  in  that  sense,  is  to  violate  every  principle  of 
interpretation. 

Vss.  26-28  are  an  addition  to  Mark's  report,  emphasizing  the  warn- 
ing against  being  deceived  by  false  Christs,  and  especially  teaching 
that  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  will  not  be  a  secret,  obscure  event, 
but  one  which,  coming  however  unexpectedly,  will  be  as  open  and 
manifest  as  a  flash  of  lightning.  This  does  not  say  that  everybody 
will  recognize  it  as  the  coming  of  Christ,  but  that  the  event  itself  will 
not  be  obscure  and  out  of  the  way.  Cf.  ^[250.  The  intent  of  the 
teaching  is  to  guard  the  disciples  against  being  misled  by  false  Christs. 
The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  is  to  be  understood,  as  in  Mark  13  :  26, 
as  denoting  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  in  power.  Vs.  28  {cf.  Luke 
17  :  37)  is  a  proverbial  saying,  meaning  that  judgment  will  fall  when- 
ever and  wherever  sin  and  corruption  render  it  necessary.  The  over- 
throw of  Judaism  is  but  an  example  —  albeit  a  most  conspicuous  and 
important  one  —  of  a  general  principle. 

Vss.  29-31  reproduce  Mark  13:24-27,  but  with  slight  changes. 
The  word  "immediately"  (vs.  29)  emphasizes  what  is  in  any  case  the 
natural  meaning  of  Mark,  that  the  downfall  of  the  Jewish  nation  and 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  follow  close  upon  the  events  referred 
to  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  Vss.  30,  31  expand  somewhat  the 
picture  of  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds,  but  do  not  essentially 
change  the  meaning. 

Vss.  40,  43-51  reproduce  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  Luke  12  :  39-46. 
In  that  passage  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  is  his  coming  for 
accounting  and  judgment  in  the  life  of  any  individual.  The  introduc- 
tion of  it  here  is  to  that  extent  incongruous.  Yet  it* serves  to  empha- 
size the  fact  that  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  is  not  a  specific  event, 
but,  like  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  "  in  the  Old  Testament,  is  the  coming  of 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  power,  whether  to  an  individual  or  a  nation, 
whether  in  blessing  or  in  judgment.  One  great  example  of  it  was  in 
the  first  appearance  of  Jesus  {cf.  John's  conception,  Matt.  3:11,  12); 
another  was  in  the  displacement  of  Judaism  by  the  Christian  church ; 
but  it  is  always  happening  on  a  large  scale  or  a  small,  and  is  doubtless 
still  to  happen  many  times.  In  other  words,  as  "the  Son  of  man"  is 
the  type  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  "the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  "  is 
typical  of  and  equivalent  to  the  coming  of  the  kingdom. 

In  Matt.,  chap.  25,  the  evangelist  adds  a  series  of  parables  dealing 
with    the  general  subject  of   judgment.       The  first,  that  of   the  ten 


PREDICTION    OF    THE    END    OF    THE    NATION  24 1 

virgins  (vss.  1-13),  teaches  the  necessity  of  being  ever  ready  for  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  The  details  of  the  parable  cannot  be  pressed. 
Its  simple  teaching  is  that  expressed  in  vs.  13:  ''Watch  therefore,  for 
ye  know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour." 

In  the  second  parable,  that  of  the  talents  (vss.  14-30),  the  duty 
inculcated  is  that  of  faithfully  using  all  that  our  Lord  intrusts  to  us. 
''Watching"  is  not  idle  waiting,  but  industrious  service  of  our  Lord. 

The  parable  of  the  sheep  and  the  goats  (vss.  31-46)  sets  forth  most 
vividly  and  impressively  the  basis  of  Christ's  judgment  of  men,  viz., 
not  profession  of  his  name,  but  conduct  expressive  of  his  Spirit.  To 
press  the  pictorial  element  of  this  parable  to  mean  that  there  will  be  a 
great  judgment  day  of  all  the  world,  when  all  men  will  be  assembled 
in  one  place,  is  unwarranted.  The  parable  teaches  the  basis  and  issue 
of  judgment,  not  its  time  or  external  form.  The  solemn  truth  that 
must  not  be  lost  sight  of  is  that  by  our  conduct  here  and  now  we  are 
determining  issues  that  are  eternal,  life  or  death. 

^299.  Notes  on  §131,  Luke  21:5-38. —  Luke's  report  of  this  dis- 
course follows  Mark's  quite  closely,  differing  chiefly  in  that  in  place  of 
such  vague  expressions  as  "abomination  of  desolation"  (Mark  13  :  14) 
Luke  has  definite  language,  "Jerusalem  compassed  with  armies"  (vs. 
20;,  see  also  vs.  24,  and  cf.  Mark's  vs.  19).  This  is  probably  due  to 
Luke's  having  written  after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  hence  having 
naturally  substituted  for  the  general  terms  of  Mark  language  more 
closely  corresponding  to  the  events  as  they  actually  occurred.  The 
definiteness  of  Luke's  language  increases  the  probability  of  Mark  and 
Matthew  having  been  written  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  confirms 
the  historicity  of  their  report  of  the  discourse. 

^[300.  Notes  on  §132,  Mark  14:1,  2,  10,  11. —  Vs.  i,  "After  two 
days  was  the  Passover  and  the  Unleavened  Bread  ";  Mark  gives  the  two 
names  of  the  two  feasts  that  really  belonged  in  what  was  known  as  the 
Passover  week.  As  the  Passover  fell  this  year  on  Thursday  (see  \  308), 
the  conspiracy  was  made  on  Tuesday.  Vs.  2,  "  For  they  said,  Not 
during  the  feast":  The  plans  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  changed  by  the  offer 
of  Judas,  and  with  his  aid  Jesus'  enemies  were  enabled  to  do  that 
which  they  had  judged  impossible,  viz.,  to  arrest  Jesus  during  the 
feast  without  causing  an  uprising.  Vs.  10,  "Judas  Iscariot,"  or  Judas 
the  inhabitant  of  Kerioth  (possibly  el  Karjetein,  a  ruined  village  south 
of  Hebron).  He  was  probably  the  only  one  of  the  Twelve  who  was 
not  a  Galilean.  "Went  away  unto  the  chief  priests  that  he  might 
deliver   him   unto  them":    The  motives  leading  Judas  to  this  act  of 


242  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

treachery  are  said  (John.  12  : 4-6)  to  have  been  dishonesty  and  covetous- 
ness,  but  doubtless  in  addition  were  anger  arising  from  having  been,  as 
he  supposed,  duped  by  Jesus  into  believing  that  he  was  the  Christ. 
In  the  future  now  outlined  by  Jesus  he  saw  no  preferment  and  no 
realization  of  what  we  may  safely  believe  were  his  hopes  as  to  the 
messianic  kingdom.  Cupidity  and  revenge  easily  become  allies  in 
any  man's  life.  It  is  to  be  noted  that,  in  all  accounts,  Judas  and  not 
the  Sanhedrin  takes  the  initiative.  Matthew  (26  :  15)  tells  of  a  bargain, 
in  which  Judas  was  paid  thirty  shekels,  the  ordinary  price  of  a  slave 
(Exod.  21:32),  or  about  $20,  with  purchasing  power,  however,  much 
greater.  The  share  of  Judas  in  the  conspiracy  was  simply  that  of 
piloting  the  servants  of  the  Sanhedrin  to  some  place  where  Jesus  might 
be  arrested  without  causing  a  popular  uprising.  The  arrest  was  the 
only  time  when  such  a  danger  threatened  the  authorities.  If  once 
Jesus  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Romans,  no  popular  movement  would 
be  expected.  As,  however,  the  Romans  would  not  arrest  him,  since  he 
had  in  no  way  been  a  disturber  of  the  peace,  and  as  the  priests  themselves 
dared  not  face  openly  public  opinion,  treachery  was  the  one  resource 
left.  Thus  had  it  not  been  for  Judas,  Jesus  might  have  escaped.  As  it 
was,  however,  Jesus  immediately  discovered  his  friend's  disloyalty  and 
forecast  its  inevitably  fatal  consequences.  It  was  this  that  cast  the 
deep  gloom  over  the  Passover  which  he  ate  with  the  Twelve. 


f  301.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  What 
remark  of  Jesus  and  question  of  the  disciples  gave  occasion  to 
Jesus'  discourse  in  Mark,  chap.  13?  (2)*  What  is  the  main 
purpose  of  this  discourse  ?  (3)*  With  what  are  vss.  4-1 3  wholly 
occupied?  (4)*  Of  what  do  vss.  14-23  speak?  (5)*  Of  what 
vss.  24-27  ?  (6)*  What  is  meant  by  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
man  in  vs.  26?  (7)*  What  is  the  permanent  lesson  of  the 
discourse  for  us  and  for  all?  (8)  What  does  Matthew's  report 
of  this  discourse  add  to  that  contained  in  Mark  ?  (9)  What  is 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  referred  to  in  Matt.  24:45-51  ? 
(10)*  What  is  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins  intended  to  teach 
(Matt.  25  :  1-13)  ?  (11)*  What  is  the  teaching  of  the  parable 
of  the  talents  (Matt.  25  :  14-30)?  (12)*  What  is  the  teaching 
of  the  parable  of  the  sheep  and  the  goats  (Matt.  25:31-46)? 
(13)  In  what  respects  does  Luke's  report  differ  from   Mark's? 


JESUS      LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  243 

(14)  What  do  these  differences  indicate  as  to  the  time  when 
Luke  wrote,  and  as  to  the  correctness  of  Mark's  report?  (15) 
Do  this  discourse  and  these  parables  give  us  warrant  to  expect, 
some  time  in  the  future,  a  visible  coming  of  Jesus  in  the  clouds, 
and  a  general  assemblage  of  the  living  and  dead  in  one  place. for 
judgment?  If  not  this,  then  what?  (16)  What  do  they  teach 
concerning  the  certainty  of  judgment?  (17)  Does  this  teach- 
ing apply  to  nations  or  to  individuals,  or  to  both  ?  (18)  What 
is  to  be  the  basis  of  judgment?  (19)  What  is  the  practical 
lesson  for  us  all  in  view  of  this  teaching  ? 

(20)  What  was  the  plan  of  the  enemies  of  Jesus  in  Jerusalem 
with  reference  to  his  arrest?  (21]  What  proposal  did  Judas 
make  to  them  ?  (22)  What  difference  did  this  make  in  their 
plans?      (23)   What   influences   led  Judas  to  this  desperate  act ? 

^302.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxxii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  indicating  the  purpose  of  the  discourse  on  the  end  of  the 
nation  and  its  general  teaching,  and  the  motives  and  effect  of  Judas* 
act  of  treachery. 

^303.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  fulfilment  of  Jesus'  prediction  concerning  Jerusalem  in  the 
Judeo-Roman  war  of  66-70  A.  D. 

JOSEPHUS,  War,  Books  v-vii ;  Schurer,  History  of  the  Jewish  People,  Div.  I, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  208  £E. 

2.  The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  :  its  meaning  and  reference  as 
used  by  Jesus. 

3.  The  character  of  Judas. 


CHAPTER  XXXIIL 

JESUS'    LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES. 

§133.  The  Last  Supper. 

Matt.  26  :  17-30.    Mark  14 :  12-26.  Luke  22 : 7-30.     John  13  : 1-30. 
§134.  Christ's  farewell  discourses. 

Matt.  26:31-35.    Mark  14:27-31.  Luke  22:31-38.  John  13:31 — 16:33. 
§135.  The  intercessory  prayer.  John,  chap.  17. 

^^304.  Notes  on  §133,  Mark  14  :  12-26. — Vs.  12,  "on  the  first  day  of 
unleavened  bread":  i.e.,  on  the  14th  of  Nisan  (Exod.  12:6;  Lev. 
23:5;  Numb.  9  :  3).    For  the  chronological  question  see  ^  308.    **  Where 


244  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

wilt  thou  that  we  go  and  make  ready,"  etc.:  A  brotherhood  like  that 
of  the  disciples  would  naturally,  as  a  family,  eat  the  Passover  lamb 
together.  The  question  of  the  disciples  shows  clearly  that  Jesus  had 
not  disclosed  to  them  his  plans.  Perhaps  his  reticence  was  due  to  his 
knowledge  of  the  plot  of  Judas.  Vss.  13-16.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
interpret  these  words  of  Jesus  as  indicating  miraculous  prescience. 
The  use  of  the  term  ''my  guest  chamber"  clearly  indicates  that  he 
had  had  some  previous  understanding  with  the  owner  of  the  house. 
This  is  supported  by  the  fact  that,  in  accordance  with  Jewish  law  (Exod. 
12  :  3),  Jesus  must  have  chosen  a  lamb  on  the  loth  of  Nisan.  Probably 
the  bearing  of  a  pitcher  of  water,  ordinarily  the  work  of  the  women, 
had  been  agreed  upon  as  the  sign  of  recognition.  By  these  precautions 
Jesus  was  able  to  select  the  room  for  the  Passover  feast  without  dis- 
closing its  location  to  Judas  in  time  for  him  to  betray  the  fact  to  the 
priests.  It  has  been  thought  by  some  that  this  unknown  host  was  the 
father  of  John  Mark,  the  evangelist  {cf.  Acts  12:12).  Vs.  18.  Between 
vs.  17,  in  which  is  mentioned  the  arrival  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples  in 
the  upper  room,  and  vs.  18  are  to  be  introduced  the  several  events  given 
by  Luke  and  John:  [(i)  the  first  cup  of  wine];  (2)  the  words  of 
Jesus,  Luke  22  :  14-18,  and  the  strife  as  to  precedence,  Liike  22  :  24-30 
(11305)';  (3)  Jesus'  washing  of  the  disciples'  feet,  with  its  accompanying 
lesson,  John  13:  1-20  (^306).  Vs.  19.  Nothing  could  better  show 
the  disciples'  profound  confidence  in  the  words  of  Jesus.  Though 
conscious  of  no  determination  to  betray  him,  upon  hearing  his  pre- 
diction each  believed  himself  possibly  the  offender.  Doubtless  Jesus 
had  seen  the  disloyalty  of  Judas  from  its  inception.  The  announcement 
of  the  traitor  is  general  in  the  synoptic  account,  but  specific  in  that  of 
John  (^306).  Vs.  22,  "blessed"  :  /.  ^.,  blessed  God,  or  rather  (Luke 
22  :  19), gave  thanks.  There  will  always  be  some  question  as  to  whether 
the  memorial  meal  or  custom  now  instituted  by  Jesus  was  derived  from 
the  Passover.  On  the  whole,  it  seems  most  probable  that  it  was  the 
latter  part  of  that  feast.  "The  Lord  partook  with  the  others  of  the 
paschal  lamb,  and  when  the  law  had  been  thus  fulfilled,  and  the  supper 
ended,  before  proceeding  to  take  the  cup  after  supper,  the  cup  of 
blessing,  took  bread  [of  course  the  unleavened  bread  upon  the  able, 
since  none  other  was  permitted  to  be  present],  and,  declaring  it  to  be 
his  body,  gave  them  to  eat "  (Andrews,  Life  of  Our  Lord,  490). 
Vs.  23,  "a  cup":  according  to  Paul  (i  Cor.  10:16;  ii:25f.)  the 
"cup  of  blessing,"  so  called,  the  third  of  the  four  drunk  at  the  Pass- 
over meal.     Vs.  24,  "The  covenant":  probably  a  reference  to  the  new 


JESUS     LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  245 

CQifiiiant  {cf.  Luke  22  :  20)  of  Jer.  31  :  31  ff.,  with  which  is  associated, 
as  respects  the  significance  of  the  blood,  a  reference  to  Exod.  24^^  J[., 
where,  as  the  symbol  of  life,  blood  sprinkled  on  the  book  of  the  law 
and  on  the  people  symbolizes  a  covenant  between  God  and  the  people, 
they  pledging  themselves  to  obedience  and  he  imparting  to  them  his  v 
life.  Jesus,  shedding  his  blood  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  and  in 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  men,  brings  men,  through  the  adoption  of  '^ 
the  same  principle  of  life,  through  the  same  devotion  of  their  lives  to 
God,  into  fellowship  with  God.  In  the  word  "  shed,"  or  "  poured  out," 
there  is  perhaps  also«a  suggestion  of  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering,  by  the 
pouring  out  of  which  on  his  behalf  the  sinner  confessed  his  sin  and  ,  ' 
sought  forgiveness  (cf.  Lev.  4  :  34,  35  ;  Matt.  26  :  28).  Thus  the  death 
of  Jesus  is  at  the  same  time  a  revelation  of  God's  love,  of  the  sinful-  ,  / 
ness  of  human  sin,  and  of  the  possibility  of  forgiveness  and  recon- 
ciliation. Cf.  ^292.  Vs.  25,"!  shall  no  more  drink,"  etc.:  referring 
to  his  immediate  death,  and  expressing  his  faith  in  a  triumphant  king- 
dom. Beyond  this  the  interpreter  cannot  go  with  certainty.  That 
which  stands  out  clearly  in  respect  to  this  memorial  meal  is  that  Jesus 
regarded  his  death  as  suffered  in  behalf  of  his  disciples  and  as  a  basis  of 
fellowship  between  them  and  God ;  and  he  wished  that,  as  they  main- 
tained the  fraternity  of  the  kingdom,  they  should  in  their  food  and 
drink  remember  him,  believe  him  still  present  with  them,  and  see  that 
their  privileges  as  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God  were  due,  at  least 
in  part,  to  his  death.  Vs.  26,  "a  hymn":  the  Passover  feast  closed 
with  chanting  Pss.  11 5-1 18.  - — > 

^  305.  Notes  on  §  133,  Luke  22  :  7-30.  —  Vs.  7.  This  verse  seems  to 
assert  that  Jesus  ate  the  paschal  feast  at  the  same  time  that  it  was  being 
eaten  by  other  Jews.  Vss.  8-13.  See  X  304-  ^s.  16,  "until  it  be 
fulfilled  in  the  kingdom  of  God":  The  reference  is  to  the  Passover, 
and  Jesus  is  probably  thinking  of  the  fulfilment  of  that  of  which  it  was 
the  type,  viz.,  deliverance  given  his  people  by  God. 

If  vss.  17,  18  are  to  be  added  directly  to  16,  then  Luke  makes  reference 

'     to  two  cups  instead  of  one.     On  the  whole,  it  seems  most  natural  to  treat  vss. 

17,  18  as  parallel  to  19,  20,  each  being  drawn  from  a  separate  source.     In 

that  case  vss.   17,  18  would   belong  chronologically  at  the  time  given  the 

words  and  acts  by  Mark.     See  the  parallel  columns  in  •[^307. 

Vss.  25,  26  are  almost  identical  with  Mark  10:42-44;  Matt. 
20:25-27.  "Benefactors":  not  a  title.  Philanthropy  popularly  is 
confused  with  the  exercise  of  authority.  In  the  society  founded  by 
Jesus  one   is  to  seek  to  aid  others  without  exercising  authority  over 


246  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

them.  To  enforce  this  Jesus  speaks  of  his  own  position  (vs.  27;  cf. 
Mark  10:45).  Vss.  28-30  are  not  to  be  taken  literally  as  if  the  refer- 
ence were  to  a  political  empire,  but  as  a  figurative  representation  of 
the  certain  and  great  reward  for  loyalty. 

^[306.  Notes  on  §133,  John  13:1-30.  —  Vs.  i,  "before  the  feast  of 
the  Passover":  The  phrase,  in  thought,  if  not  grammatically,  qualifies 
"riseth"  in  vs.  4,  all  other  clauses  being  adverbial  and  parenthetical. 
This  implies  that  the  meal  described  in  the  following  verses  was  distinct  from 
the  Passover  supper  and  preceded  it.  The  verse  therefore  combines  with 
John  18  :  28  to  show  that  the  chronology  of  the  fourth  gospel  in  its  present 
form  differs  from  that  of  the  other  gospels  in  respect  to  the  date  of  Jesus' 
death.  Yet  both  John  and  the  synoptists  associate  with  the  supper  which 
each  names  the  announcement  of  the  betrayal  and  of  Peter's  denial,  and  both 
connect  the  supper  closely  with  the  betrayal  and  death  of  Jesus.  These 
coincidences  and  the  references  in  John  13  :  26  to  the  sop  {cf.  ^307)  show 
that  in  fact  the  supper  in  John  is  the  same  as  that  in  the  synoptists,  and  is  the 
Passover.  How  this  inconsistency  arose  is  now  impossible  to  determine  with 
certainty.  The  most  probable  explanation  is  that  which  attributes  the  note  of 
time  in  John  13  :  i,  as  well  as  that  in  John  18  :  28,  to  a  later  hand  than  that  of 
John  the  apostle.  Cf.  ^^13,  206,  308.  It  is  not  at  all  impossible  that  in 
the  original  Johannine narrative  there  stood  the  phrase  "before  the  Passover," 
or  the  like,  to  indicate  that  Jesus'  washing:  of  the  feet  of  the  disciples  on  the 
evening  of  the  Passover  preceded  the  eating  of  the  Passover  itself,  z.  <?.,  as  this 
phrase  would  mean  to  a  Jew,  the  Passover  lamb.  The  slight  misunderstand- 
ing of  the  phrase  by  gentile  Christians  of  the  time  at  which  our  fourth  gospel 
was  written  may  have  given  rise  to  the  whole  difference  between  the  Johan- 
nine and  synoptic  chronology  of  the  passion. 

"Loved  them  unto  the  end":  These  words  are  intended  to  give  the 
motive  for  the  gracious  and  humble  service  Jesus  was  about  to  render 
his  disciples.  The  occasion  for  this  service  was  the  pride  of  the  Twelve, 
no  one  of  whom  was  willing  to  take  the  part  of  a  servant  and  wash  the 
feet  of  his  companions.  Vs.  10,  "he  that  is  bathed,"  etc.:  a  reference 
to  oriental  customs.  The  entire  conversation  is  couched  in  the  sym- 
bolism so  dear  to  the  Jew.  The  bath  and  the  washing,  requisite  to 
sharing  in  a  banquet,  were  used  by  both  Jesus  and  Peter  as  symbolical 
of  the  inner  cleansing  needed  by  those  who  were  to  sit  down  at  the 
great  dinner  of  the  kingdom.  Vss.  12-17  contain  one  of  Jesus'  most 
striking  teachings  as  to  the  Christian's  need  of  abandoning  pride  and 
devoting  himself  to  the  service  of  those  about  him  ;  and  these  he  is 
not  to  regard  as  inferiors.  It  is  a  lesson  in  the  equality  and  love  that 
should  characterize  all  followers  of  Jesus.     Vss.  18-20  show  that  Jesus 


JESUS      LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  24/ 

had  foreseen  his  betrayal  by  Judas.  Vs.  23,  "reclining  in  Jesus' 
bosom"  :  The  Jews  had  by  this  time  adopted  generally  the  Greek  cus- 
tom of  reclining  at  table.  Vs.  23  simply  means  that  John  was  at 
Jesus'  right  hand.  This  explains  vs.  24  :  Peter  beckons  to  John,  as 
the  one  who  was  near  enough  to  Jesus  to  speak  to  him  quietly,  to  ask 
of  whom  he  spoke.  Vs.  27,  "What  thou  doest,  do  quickly":  Jesus, 
seeing  that  Judas  is  now  beyond  hoi)e,  desires  him  to  withdraw  at 
once,  that  he  may  be  alone  with  his  true  disciples.  Vs.  29,  "buy 
what  things  we  have  need  of  for  the  feast":  These  words,  like  the 
reference  to  the  so{^(vs.  26),  favor  the  view  that  this  was  the  true  Pass- 
over meal.  Had  it  been  the  night  before  the  Passover,  there  would 
have  been  no  occasion  to  go  out  at  that  time  to  make  purchases,  since 
the  whole  of  the  next  forenoon  would  have  been  free  for  that  purpose. 
But  the  "  feast  "  which  began  with  the  Passover  supper  proper  continued 
for  a  week,  and  purchases  might  conceivably  be  necessary  for  the 
sacrifices  and  meals  of  the  next  day,  or  for  gifts  to  the  poor  who 
would  be  at  this  hour  in  the  temple  area.  (See  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus,  Vol.  II,  p.  508.  On  the  Last  Supper  see  a  good 
brief  treatment  in  Rhees,  Life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  pp.  18 1-7.) 

^307.  The  probable  order  of  the  Passover  feast  was  as  follows.  Such  of 
its  elements  as  seem  to  be  mentioned  in  the  accounts  of  the  Last  Supper 
are  printed  in  italics  : 

1.  Blessing  of  first  cup  of  wine. 

2.  Handwashing  and  prayer. 

3.  Bitter  herbs,  dipped  in  the  haroseth  (mixture  of  fruit  and  vinegar), 
passed  and  eaten. 

4.  Second  cup  of  wine,  with  question  of  son  and  answer  of  father  (Exod. 
12:26). 

5.  First  part  of  the  Hallel  (Pss.  113,  114). 

6.  ''Sop''  (a  bit  of  the  paschal  lamb  and  bitter  herb  in  bread)  dipped  in 
vinegar  and  eaten. 

7.  Paschal  lamb  eaten. 

8.  Eating  of  a  piece  of  unteavefied  bread  (possibly  not  eaten  in  time  of 
Christ). 

Q.    Third  cup  of  wine  with  grace  ("cup  of  blessing  "). 

10.  Fourth  cup. 

1 1.  Blessing  in  song  (Pss.  1 1 5-1 18). 

(If  Luke  iiW]  \)Q  not  referred  to  the  same  cup  spoken  of  in  Mark  14  :23, 
then  its  cup  is  to  be  identified  with  the  second  cup  of  the  feast.) 

The  order  of  events,  as  well  as  the  words  of  Jesus  at  this  time,  can  be 
fixed  by  a  comparison  of  ihe  sources  here  shown  in  parallel  columns  : 


248 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


MARK  14:  22-25. 

1.  Bread  broken 
with  thanks. 

2.  "  Take  ye  :  this 
is  my  body." 


3.  Cup  taken  with 
thanksgiving. 

4.  "  This  is  my 
blood  of  the  covenant 
which  is  shed  for 
many.  Verily  I  will 
no  more  drink  of  the 
fruit  of  the  vine,  until 
that  day  when  I  drink 
it  new  in  the  king- 
dom of  God." 


MATT.  26 :  26-29. 

1.  Bread  broken 
with  thanks. 

2.  "  Take,  eat :  this 
is  my  body." 


3.  Cup  taken  with 
thanksgiving. 

4.  "  Drink  ye  all  of 
it ;  for  this  is  my  blood 
of  the  cove  na  nt, 
which  is  shed  for 
many  unto  remission 
of  sins.  But  I  say 
unto  you,  I  will  not 
drink  henceforth  o  f 
this  fruit  of  the  vine, 
until  that  day  when  I 
drink  it  new  with  you 
in  my  Father's  king- 
dom." 


LUKE  22:  17,  18. 


3.  Cup  taken  with 
thanksgiving. 

4.  "  Take  this  and 
divide  among  your- 
selves, for  I  say  unto 
you,  I  will  not  drink 
from  henceforth  o  f 
the  fruit  of  the  vine, 
until  the  kingdom  of 
God  shall  come." 


LUKE  22:  19,  20. 

1.  Bread  broken 
with  thanks. 

2.  "This  is  my 
body  which  is  given 
for  you ;  this  do  in 
remembrance  of  me." 

3.  Cup  taken  with 
thanksgiving. 

4.  "  This  cup  is  the 
new  covenant  in  my 
bl  ood,  even  that 
which  is  poured  out 
for  you." 


I  COR.  11: 23-25. 

1.  Bread  broken 
with  thanksgiving. 

2.  "This  is  my  body 
(broken)  in  your  be- 
half. This  do  in  re- 
membrance of  me.  " 

3.  Cup  taken  with 
thanksgiving. 

4.  "  This  cup  is  the 
new  covenant  in  my 
blood;  do  this  as 
often  as  ye  drink  it, 
in  remembrance  o  f 
me.'* 


%  308.  The  Day  upon  which  Jesus  Ate  the  Last  Supper. — (i )  As  far  as  the  day 
of  the  week  is  concerned,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  concluding  that,  since  Sun" 
day  was  the  third  day  after  his  death  (counted  in  Jewish  fashion,  viz.,  parts 
of  three  days),  and  if  the  next  day  after  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  was  the  sab- 
bath (John  19:31;  Mark  15  :  42  ;  Luke  23  :  54),  Jesus  was  crucified  on  Fri- 
day. (2)  A  difficulty,  however,  is  left,  for  John  (13  : 1,  29  ;  18:28;  19:14,30 
apparently  regards  the  Last  Supper  as  having  occurred  on  the  evening  of  the 
day  before  the  Passover,  z.  <?.,  the  evening  of  the  13th  of  Nisan  (which  would 
be,  by  the  Jewish  reckoning  of  a  day  from  sunset  to  sunset,  the  beginning  of 
the  14th  of  Nisan),  while  Mark  (14:12,  14,  16,  17)  and  the  other  synoptics 
(Luke  22  :  14,  15)  expressly  declare  that  he  ate  the  Passover  itself,  and  that 
(cf.  ^  304)  must  have  been  on  the  evening  of  the  14th  of  Nisan  (or,  by  Jewish 
reckoning,  the  beginning  of  the  15th).  Was  Jesus,  then,  crucified  on  Friday 
the  14th,  or  on  Friday  the  15th  of  Nisan?  The  question  is,  of  course,  con- 
nected with  that  of  the  year  of  the  crucifixion.  If  Jesus  was  crucified  on 
Friday,  Nisan  14,  it  was  in  a  year  in  which  Nisan  14  fell  on  Friday;  and  if 
on  Friday  the  i  5th,  then  in  a  year  when  Nisan  1 5  was  a  Friday.  Yet  the 
determination  of  the  day  of  the  month  is  not  in  itself  decisive  for  the  year, 
since  the  inaccuracy  of  the  Jewish  methods  of  determining  the  question  of 
the  month  introduces  an  element  of  uncertainty  into  all  reasoning  based 
on  exact  astronomical  calculations.  Various  answers  have  been  proposed 
by  scholars  :  (a)  Some  hold  that  Jesus  celebrated  the  Passover  a  day  in 
advance  of  the  Jews  in  general  ;  (d)  others  hold  that  John  is  describing  a 
supper  eaten  on  the  day  before  the  paschal  supper  of  the  synoptists  ;  (c)  it  is 
maintained  by  some  that  the  synoptic  account  must  be  brought  into  harmony 
with  that  of  John,  thus  bringing  the  crucifixion  at  the  very  time  that  the  paschal 
lambs  were  being  slain  ;  (d)  on  the  other  hand,  many  scholars  bring  John  into 


JESUS      LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  249 

harmony  with  the  synoptists.  On  the  whole,  though  not  without  its  difficul 
ties,  this  last  seems  the  most  probable  view,  demanding  no  serious  harmonistic 
device.  The  passage  presenting  the  most  difficulty,  John  18:28,  may  be 
explained  in  one  of  two  ways  :  (i)  to  "eat  the  Passover"  may  perhaps  mean 
"to  celebrate  all  the  festivals  of  the  Passover  week  ; "  or  (ii)  the  phrase  is  very 
possibly  an  explanation  (but  one  which  itself  involved  a  chronological  error) 
on  the  part  of  a  copyist  or  editor,  for  the  benefit  of  gentile  readers,  of  the 
grounds  of  the  Jews'  dread  of  entering  the  pra^torium  of  Pilate,  viz.,  that 
they  should  be  defiled  (and  thus  be  prevented,  from  eating  the  Passover). 
There  certainly  is  a  strong  presumption  that  the  early  church  would  have 
known  whether  or  not'Jesus  died  before  or  after  the  paschal  supper,  and  to  a 
good  degree  this  presumption  favors  the  synoptic  account.  There  is  little  of 
importance  in  the  fourth  gospel  at  variance  with  it,  except  this  clause  of 
John  18:28,  and  John  13:1  (</.•;  306).  See  various  Lives  of  Christ  by 
Edersheim,  Farrar  (Excur.  x),  Gilbert,  and  others  ;  and  in  particular  see 
Wright,  Some  New  Testament  Probleins,  chap.  14  ;  Andrews,  Life  of  Our 
Lord,  pp.  452-81.  See  also  Sanday,  art.  "  Jesus  Christ"  in  Hastings'  Diet, 
of  Bib.;  and  Expositor,  1892,  I,  i7f.,  182  f.,  in  which  the  view  («)  above  is 
favored.  (3)  A  third  question  concerns  the  year  of  the  crucifixion.  The 
determination  of  this  requires  the  consideration  of  {a)  the  years  of  the  pro- 
curatorship  of  Pilate,  {b)  the  date  of  the  beginning  of  Jesus'  ministry,  {c)  the 
length  of  the  ministry,  (^)  the  day  of  the  month  on  which  the  crucifixion  took 
place,  (<?)  the  Jewish  calendar  as  ascertained  from  Jewish  usage  and  astro- 
nomical calculations.  Each  of  the  years  27-30  A.  D.  has  arguments  in  its 
favor,  but  at  present  the  opinion  is  chiefly  divided  between  29  and  30.  If 
the  former  date  is  chosen,  the  crucifixion  probably  occurred  on  March  18  ;  if 
the  latter,  on  April  7.  See  Turner,  art.  "Chronology  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment," in  Hastings'  Diet,  of  Bib. 

^309.  Notes  on  §134/  John  13:31-35. — Vs.  31,  **nowis  the  Son  of 
man  glorified"  :  the  verb  is  in  the  past  tense,  properly  "was  glorified" 
or  "has  been  glorified."  The  reference  is  to  his  whole  earthly  life  in 
which  his  character  and  mission  had  been  revealed  and  he  thus  made 
glorious  in  the  eyes  of  all  who  could  appreciate  his  character.  Vs.  32, 
"  and  God  shall  glorify  him  in  himself"  :  shall  make  Jesus  glorious  by 
the  revelation  of  his  relation  to  the  Father.  But  it  is  possible  that  we 
ought  rather  to  translate,  "  shall  glorify  himself  in  him."  Vs.  33,  "  little 
children,  yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you  "  :  His  departure,  vvhich  he 
had  repeatedly  announced,  is  now  near  at  hand,  and  with  tender 
affection  Jesus  seeks  to  prepare  them  for  it.  "  As  I  said  unto  the 
Jews":  see  John  7:34;  8:21.  Vs.  34,  "a  new  commandment":  in 
view  of  his  departure  from  them   there   is  a   necessity  greater    than 

*For  convenience  of  exposition  this  extended  discourse  is  broken  into  parts,  and 
the  different  parts  treated  in  successive  paragraphs. 


250  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

before,  not  simply  of  love  to  all  men,  but  of  love  of  the  disciples  to 
one  another,  which  shall  bind  them  together.  This  duty,  not  having 
been  specially  emphasized  before,  is  in  this  sense  a  new  commandment. 

As  in  some  other  parts  of  John's  gospel  (see  ^  206),  so  in  this  discourse  there 
is  reason  to  suspect  that  the  paragraphs  have  been  to  some  extent  displaced 
from  their  original  order.  Though  any  rearrangement  can  be  only  con- 
jectural, the  placing  of  chaps.  15,  16  after  the  word  "  saith "  in  13:  31 
(giving  the  order  13:31a/  chaps.  15,  16;  13:  31^^-38;  chap.  14)  certainly 
relieves  some  of  the  difficulty  of  the  present  order,  such,  e.  g.,  as  the  incon- 
gruity of  16:5  standing  after  14:5,  and  the  introduction  of  the  long  dis- 
course after  the  farewell  words  of  14  :  25-31,  especially  vs.  27  and  the 
"  Arise,  let  us  go  hence,"  of  vs.  31. 

^310.  Notes  on  §134,  John  13:36-38,  and  the  parallels  in  the 
other  gospels  (Matt.  26  :  31-35  ;  Mark  14  :  27-31;  Luke  22  :  31-34). — 
Of  these  four  accounts  of  Jesus'  prediction  of  Peter's  denial,  those 
of  Mark  and  Luke  are  almost  identical.  Luke  and  John  have  each 
some  peculiarities  of  their  own.  The  four  accounts  are  most  alike  in 
Jesus'  words  to  Peter.  Respecting  Luke's  vss.  31,  32,  notice  that  the 
pronoun  "you  "  in  vs.  31  is  plural,  referring  to  the  whole  company  of 
the  Twelve,  while  vs.  32  uses  "thee,"  referring  to  Peter  only.  Jesus 
foresees  a  process  of  testing,  sifting  out  the  good  from  the  bad  ;  he 
does  not  say  that  he  has  prayed  that  Peter  may  escape  this  process, 
but  that  his  faith  may  not  fail  under  it.  It  is  peculiarly  needful  that 
he  as  the  leader  shall  "keep  the  faith." 

^311.  Notes  on  §134,  Luke  22:35-38. —  These  verses  contain 
Jesus'  impressive  warning  to  the  disciples  that  they  are  approaching  a 
time  of  extreme  danger.  That  he  actually  meant  that  they  should 
provide  themselves  with  swords  is  improbable  (how  could  they  at  that 
time  of  night  ?),  even  though  vs.  38  seems  to  imply  this.  Certainly  he 
did  not  mean  that  they  were  to  resist  force  with  force.  Cf.  John  18  :  11. 

^[312.  Notes  on  §  134,  John,  chap.  14. — This  familiar  chapter,  which 
has  been  the  comfort  of  so  many  in  times  of  distress,  has  to  an  even 
greater  degree  than  the  rest  of  this  section  the  character  of  a  farewell 
to  the  disciples  (see  fine  print  in  §  309).  It  emphasizes  the  thought 
that  the  coming  separation  is  to  be  but  for  a  brief  time  ;  that,  having 
known  him,  they  know  the  Father,  and  that  through  their  fellowship 
with  him  and  loving  obedience  to  his  commandments  they  will  enter 
into  fulness  of  fellowship  with  God.  It  calls  for  reflection  rather 
than  explanation.  Its  course  of  thought  is  somewhat  as  follows  : 
Comfort  in  view  of  his  departure,  and  promise  that  he  will  come  again 


JESUS'    LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  25 1 

and  receive  them  to  himself,  vss.  1-4  ;  declaration  (in  answer  to 
Thomas'  objection  that  they  know  not  the  way)  that  he  himself  is  the 
revelation  of  the  Father  and  the  way  to  him,  vss.  5-7  ;  reaffirmation 
(in  answer  to  Philip)  that  he  is  the  revelation  of  God,  and  promise 
that  they  who  believe  in  him  shall  do  his  works  and  even  greater  ones, 
and  shall  obtain  what  they  ask  from  God,  vss.  8-14  ;  promise  that  he 
will  send  another  Helper,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  and  that  he  himself  will 
come  to  them,  vss.  15—21  ;  promise  (in  answer  to  Judas'  question) 
that  if  any  man  love  him  and  keep  his  commandments,  both  he  and 
the  Father  will  abidtf  with  him,  vss.  22-24  ;  renewal  of  the  promise  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  benediction  of  peace,  vss.  25-31. 

^313.  Notes  on  §  134,  John,  chaps.  15,  16.  —  This  portion  of  the  dis- 
course contains  the  parable  of  the  vine  and  the  branches,  and  the 
application  of  the  truth  involved  in  it  to  the  relation  between  Jesus 
and  his  disciples,  15  :  i— 17  ;  passing  into  the  setting  forth  of  the  hatred 
which  his  disciples  may  expect  from  the  world,  15:18 — 16:4;  and 
this  again  into  the  announcement  of  his  departure,  and  the  promise  of 
the  Helper,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  and  statement  of  his  work,  16:5—15; 
then  discussion  among  the  disciples,  and  between  the  disciples  and 
Jesus,  as  to  his  departure,  and  his  assurance  that  their  sorrow  shall  be 
brief,  but  their  joy  without  end,  16:16-24;  his  promise  to  speak  to 
them  plainly  concerning  the  Father,  assurance  of  the  Father's  love 
for  them,  warning  that  their  faith  is  not  yet  perfect,  and  yet  also  a  word 
of  peace,  16:25-33.  As  respects  the  connection  with  chaps.  13  and 
14  see  the  suggestion  in  ^  309. 

15:1-17.  —  The  central  thought  of  these  verses  is  that  fellowship 
with  Christ  is  the  condition  of  fruitfulness.  Setting  it  forth  first  under 
the  figure  of  the  vine  and  the  branches  (the  reference  to  the  unfruitful 
branch  that  is  cast  forth  is  perhaps  suggested  by  the  case  of  Judas), 
Jesus  afterward  (vss.  9-17)  expounds  it  in  plainer  terms,  speaking  of 
abiding  in  his  love  (interpreting  the  abiding  of  the  vine  in  the  branch), 
keeping  his  commandments,  loving  one  another.  Thus  fellowship 
becomes,  not  mere  service,  but  intimate  and  mutual  friendship  (vs.  15), 
the  disciples  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the  Master,  with  joy  doing  his 
will,  and  all  bound  together  by  the  mutual  love  that  springs  from 
their  common  relation  to  him.  These  verses  will  well  reward  frequent 
reading  and  much  meditation. 

15:18 — 16:4.  —  The  love  of  the  disciples  to  one  another  suggests 
the  hatred  of  the  world  which,  first  directed  against  the  Master,  turns 
also  against  the  disciples.    The  ground  of  this  hatred  is  in  the  difference 


252  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

of  character  between  the  world  on  the  one  side,  and,  on  the  other,  the 
disciples,  Jesus  the  Master,  and  God  the  Father.  Vss.  26,  27  intro- 
duce the  thought  of  the  Comforter  (on  the  meaning  of  the  word  see 
on  16  : 5-15),  to  which  he  returns  again  in  16:7.  Coming  in  the  midst 
of  the  announcement  of  the  hatred  of  the  world  and  the  sufferings 
which  the  disciples  will  in  consequence  of  it  endure  (15:18-25  and 
16 : 1-4),  these  verses  seem  to  interrupt  the  course  of  thought.  The 
connection  is  perhaps  that,  despite  the  world's  rejection  of  Jesus,  yet 
when  the  Spirit  of  Truth  comes  the  testimony  to  Jesus  which  he  will 
bear,  and  the  added  testimony  of  the  disciples,  may  yet  reach  men's 
hearts. 

16:5-15.  —  Passing  naturally  from  the  persecutions  which  his  dis- 
ciples are  to  endure,  and  which,  before  they  come  to  pass,  he  announces, 
to  that  of  his  departure  from  them,  he  tells  them  that  it  is  expedient 
for  him  to  go  away,  because  otherwise  the  Comforter  will  not  come  to 
them,  and  so  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  work  which  the  Comforter  will 
accomplish.  The  word  translated  Comforter  means  One  called  to 
one's  aid,  thus  an  Advocate  or  Helper.  In  14:16  he  is  called 
"another"  Helper,  thus  implying  that  he  is  to  do  a  work  like  that 
which  Jesus  has  done.  And  this  is  also  brought  out  in  his  other  name, 
the  Spirit  of  Truth  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  testifying  in  the  hearts  of  men 
to  the  same  truth  which  Jesus  taught  and  which  was  revealed  in  him 
will  carry  forward  the  work  which  Jesus  began,  and  in  a  sense  more 
effectually  than  Jesus  could  have  done  by  remaining  on  earth.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  it  is  expedient  that  Jesus  should  go  away  (vs.  7), 
that  the  limitations  of  time  and  place  necessarily  connected  with  the 
revelation  of  God  through  the  incarnate  Son  may  in  the  ever  and 
everywhere  present  Spirit  of  Truth  be  done  away.  Think  how  the 
progress  of  Christianity  would  have  been  hindered  if  Jesus  had  lived  on 
in  Judea,  thus  inevitably  and  forever  giving  the  kingdom  a  local  center, 
instead  of  every  place  in  the  whole  earth  being  at  every  time  equally 
near  to  the  great  Head  of  the  church  and  equally  accessible  to  his 
Spirit.  In  this  Spirit  God  and  Christ  are  ever  and  everywhere  present. 
His  character  as  Spirit  of  Truth  appears  also  in  the  work  which  he  is  tO' 
do,  convincing  the  world  *'in  respect  of  sin  and  of  righteousness  and 
of  judgment"  (vs.  8),  and  guiding  the  disciples  of  Jesus  "into  all  the 
truth"  (vs.  13).  The  sin  of  which  the  world  will  be  convinced  is  that 
crowning  expression  of  hostility  to  truth,  the  rejection  of  the  revela- 
tion of  truth  in  Jesus ;  the  righteousness  is  that  of  Jesus,  which  is 
attested   by  his  going  to  the  Father,  itself   to  be  made   evident   in  his 


JESUS      LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  253 

resurrection  ;  the  judgment  is  God's  righteous  discrimination  between 
the  evil  and  the  good  in  this  world,  of  which  the  world  has  most 
imperfect  apprehension,  but  which  is  revealed  by  the  condemnation  of 
the  prince  of  this  world  involved  in  the  death  of  Jesus  at  the  hands  of 
men  and  his  resurrection  by  the  power  of  God. 

16:16-24. —  Jesus  now  speaks  still  more  directly  of  his  coming 
departure,  comforting  his  disciples  with  the  promise  that  his  absence 
shall  be  but  brief  —  the  reference  is,  no  doubt,  to  his  return  after  his 
death  and  resurrection,  not  to  any  appearance  still  in  the  future  — 
that  the  joy  which  shall  be  theirs  shall  never  be  taken  from  them,  and 
that  the  Father  will  grant  them  whatever  they  shall  ask  in  his  name, 
/'.  <f.,  in  fellowship  of  spirit  with  him  {cf.  15  :  7). 

16:25-33. — Vs.  25,  "  proverbs":  dark  sayings,  obscure  language. 
"But  shall  tell  you  plainly  of  the  Father":  Much  as  Jesus  had  revealed 
to  his  disciples,  there  was  far  more  yet  to  be  revealed,  and  what  had  been 
told  could  but  be  like  unexplained  riddles  to  them  in  comparison  with 
the  whole  truth,  which  was  to  be  revealed  to  them  by  the  Spirit  as  fast 
as  they  were  prepared  to  receive  it.  The  death  and  resurrection  of 
Jesus  themselves  made  possible  the  perception  of  truth  which  they 
could  not  see  before.  But  the  process  of  which  Jesus  speaks  is  still 
going  on,  both  in  the  experience  of  individual  Christians  and  in  that 
of  succeeding  generations  of  the  church,  as  the  truth  of  God  is  gradu- 
ally apprehended.  Vs.  29,  "lo,  now  speakest  thou  plainly":  The  dis- 
ciples imagine  that  they  understand  Jesus'  profound  words  just  uttered. 
But  Jesus  sees,  and  foresees  that  their  conduct  will  show,  that  it  has,  in 
fact,  taken  no  strong  hold  upon  them  ;  their  fears  and  cowardice  will 
betray  the  feebleness  of  their  faith  in  him.  Yet  Jesus*  word  to  them 
is  one  of  tenderness  and  peace  (vs.  33).  To  the  end,  and  in  the  face 
of  his  own  great  sufferings,  he  deals  with  his  disciples  with  infinite 
patience  and  unfailing  love. 

^314.  Notes  on  §  135,  John,  chap.  17. —  In  this  prayer  of  Jesus  for 
himself  and  his  disciples,  Jesus  prays  first  that,  having  glorified  the 
Father  in  accomplishing  his  work,  the  Father  may  now  glorify  him, 
vss.  1-5  ;  then  for  the  disciples  that  the  Father  has  given  him,  that 
they  may  be  kept  from  the  evil  of  the  world,  and  be  sanctified  in  the 
truth,  vss.  6-19;  and  finally  for  all  those  who  have  believed  or  shall 
believe  on  him,  that  they  may  be  one,  he  in  them,  and  the  Father  in 
him,  vss.  20-26. 

Vs.  I,  "glorify  thy  Son":  To  glorify  is  to  make  glorious,  either 
in  actual  condition  or  in  the  eyes  of  others.     In  the  latter  case,  it  may 


254  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

be  accomplished  by  mere  words  of  praise  (John  8 :  54),  even  false 
words  of  praise  (Matt.  6:2).  But  a  being  of  really  admirable  charac- 
ter can  be  best  glorified  simply  through  the  making  manifest  of  his 
true  character :  God  is  glorified  when  men  see  him  as  he  truly  is.  The 
prayer  of  Jesus  is  that  God  will  make  manifest  his  true  character  and 
mission.  This  was  to  be  accomplished  through  his  death  and  resur- 
rection, to  which  Jesus  looked  forward  with  confidence,  and  all  that 
was  to  follow  as  the  sequel  of  these  events.  "  That  the  Son  may 
glorify  thee  "  :  This  is  the  end  of  all  Jesus'  work,  to  reveal,  and  by 
revealing  to  glorify  God.  It  is  through  such  revelation  that  he  is  to 
accomplish  his  work  of  giving  eternal  life  to  man  (vs.  2) ;  for  it  is 
through  the  knowledge  of  God  that  eternal  life  is  attained  (vs.  3).  To 
know  God,  /.  ^.,  to  have  a  true  fellowship  with  him,  this  is  the  secret  of 
existence  according  to  the  true  ideal  of  life,  and  such  relationship  to 
God  is  in  its  nature  eternal.  Cf.  ^  292.  Vs.  5,  "  the  glory  which  I 
had  with  thee  before  the  world  was  "  :  a  prayer  for  restoration  to  that 
glorious  condition  of  being  which  was  his,  not  only  before  he  came 
into  the  world  (16:28),  but  even  before  the  world  was.  This  he  can 
now  pray  for,  "having  accomplished  the  work"  (vs.  4)  which  God  had 
given  him  to  do  on  earth.  Such  restoration  is,  indeed,  now  needful 
to  that  which  he  has  still  to  do  in  the  kingdom  which  he  had  estab- 
lished.     Cf.  H  313,  on  John  16  :  7. 

Vs.  6,  "  I  manifested  thy  name"  :  revealed  thee,  the  name  standing 
for  the  person  and  his  character.  Vs.  9,  "  I  pray  not  for  the  world"  : 
perhaps  better,  I  am  not  praying;  i.  e.,  this  petition  is  not  for  the 
world.  On  other  occasions  he  could,  and  did,  pray  for  the  world 
(Luke  23  :  34),  even  as  he  gave  his  life  for  the  world.  Vs.  17,  "Sanc- 
tify them  in  the  truth":  by  the  impartation  of  truth,  set  them  apart  to, 
and  fit  them  for,  the  work  they  have  to  do  in  the  world.  Vs.  19,  "and 
for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself"  :  /.  e.,  consecrate,  devote  myself  to 
my  task — a  task  which  in  his  case  involved  death. 

Vs.  21,  "That  they  may  all  be  one":  one,  /.  e.,  in  aim  and  spirit, 
even  as  Jesus  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  God.  "  That  the  world 
may  believe  that  thou  didst  send  me":  When  all  the  followers  of  Jesus 
manifest  the  same  spirit,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  himself,  the 
world  can  but  believe  that  Jesus  is  God's  messenger  to  the  world. 
Vs.  24,  "they  also  may  be  with  me":  Conscious  that  he  himself  is  to 
abide  in  full  and  blessed  fellowship  with  God,  he  desires  that  his  dis- 
ciples may  enjoy  the  same;  and  this  is  possible  through  their  posses- 
sion of  his  Spirit  and  likeness  to  him.     The  pure  in   heart  shall  see 


JESUS     LAST    DAY    WITH    THE    DISCIPLES  255 

God.  They  that  are  one  in  spirit  with  Christ  shall  be  in  like  fellow- 
ship with  God.  Vs.  25,  "  O  righteous  Father,  the  world  knew  thee 
not,  but  I  knew  thee,  and  these  knew  that  thou  didst  send  me" :  This 
is  the  whole  philosophy  of  the  plan  of  salvation;  to  a  world  that 
knows  not  God  (and  hence  is  without  life)  the  Christ,  who  knew  God 
comes,  and  they  who  recognize  that  he  is  sent  of  God  receive  him ; 
to  them  Christ  reveals  the  Father,  and  they  become  partakers  of  that 
love  of  God  which  he  has  for  Christ  himself. 


^315.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)  Tell  the 
Story  of  Jesus'  preparation  for  his  last  Passover  with  his  dis- 
ciples. (2)  On  what  day  of  the  week  was  this?  (3)  What 
are  the  possibilities  as  to  the  day  of  the  month,  and  the  relation 
in  time  of  the  Last  Supper  to  the  regular  Jewish  Passover  ?  (4)  * 
Concerning  what  was  there  a  dispute  among  the  disciples  ?  (5) 
Relate  the  incident  of  Jesus'  washing  of  the  disciples*  feet. 
(6)*  What  did  Jesus  intend  by  this  to  teach  them?  (7)* 
What  prediction  did  Jesus  make  respecting  his  betrayal,  and 
what  reply  did  the  disciples  make?  (8)*  What  question  did 
Judas  ask,  and  what  was  Jesus*  reply  ?  (9)  *  With  what  specially 
significant  act  did  Jesus  close  the  meal?  (10)*  What  did  he 
mean  by  this  to  teach  his  disciples?  (ii)  Of  what  rite,  ever 
since  observed  by  Christians,  was  this  event  the  beginning  and 
cause? 

(12)*  What  are  the  chief  and  most  frequently  recurring 
thoughts  expressed  by  Jesus  in  his  farewell  discourses  recorded 
in  John  13  131 — 16:33?  (  13)*  To  what  is  he  looking  forward 
for  himself?  (14)*  What  does  he  foresee  for  his  disciples? 
(15)*  What  comfort  does  he  give  them  in  view  of  what  is 
coming  to  them  ?  (16)*  What  relation  does  he  say  that  he  sus- 
tains on  the  one  side  to  the  Father,  and  on  the  other  side  to  his 
disciples?  (i/)*  What  is  the  teaching  of  the  parable  of  the 
vine  and  the  branches?  (18)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  John 
14:6?  (19)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  translated 
Comforter  ?  (20)  What  other  titles  are  applied  to  him  in  these 
chapters?  (21)  What  work  does  Jesus  say  the  Comforter  will 
perform  ?    (22)  Why  was  it  expedient  that  Jesus  should  go  away  ? 


256  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(23)   In  what  sense  did   he  speak   of  coming   to   the  disciples 
again  ? 

(24)*  For  what  and  for  whom  does  Jesus  pray  in  his  last 
prayer  with  his  disciples?  (25)*  In  what  sense,  and  for  what 
reason,  does  Jesus  desire  to  be  glorified?  (26)  What  does  he 
specially  ask  for  his  disciples  who  have  already  believed  ?  (27) 
What  is  his  comprehensive  prayer  ^ or  all  his  disciples?  (28) 
When  and  how  will  that  prayer  be  answered  ? 

^316.  Constructive  Work.  —  Write  chap,  xxxiii  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ,"  describing  as  intelligently  and  clearly  as  you  can  the  events  of 
Jesus'  last  day  with  his  disciples,  up  to  the  departure  from  the  room  in 
which  the  Last  Supper  was  eaten.  Try  to  enter  into  and  realize  truly 
and  vividly  the  experience  of  Jesus  and  the  disciples  on  this  memorable 
night. 

^317.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  order  of  the  Passover  ceremonial  in  the  time  of  Jesus,  and 
the  relation  to  it  of  the  events  of  Jesus'  supper  as  recorded  in  the 
gospels. 

See  Edersheim,  Li/e  and  Times  of  Jesus,  Vol.  II,  pp.  490-512;  Hastings, 
Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  art.  "  Passover ; "  Staffer,  Palestine  in  the  Time  of  Christ, 
pp,  440-46. 

2.  The  day  of  the  week  and  of  the  month  on  which  Jesus  ate  the 
Last  Supper. 

3.  The  purpose  of  Jesus  in  the  closing  act  of  his  Last  Supper. 

4.  The  differences  between  the  Matthew-Mark  account  of  the  Last 
Supper  and  the  Luke-Corinthian  account. 

5.  Possible  aid  to  the  interpretation  of  Jesus'  farewell  discourses  in 
a  rearrangement  of  the  material  with  a  view  to  restoring  the  original 
order. 

6.  The  office  of  the  Comforter  as  set  forth  by  Jesus,  and  the  rela- 
tion of  his  presence  in  the  world  to  the  coming  again  of  Jesus. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF   JESUS. 

§  136.  The  agony  in  Gethsemane. 

[Matt.  26  ;30.]  [Mark  14 :26.j  [John  18 :  i.] 

Matt.  26  :  36-46.  Mark  14  :  32-42.  Luke  22  :  39-46. 

§  137.  The  betrayal  and  arrest. 

Matt.  26  147-56.         Mark  14  143-52.  Luke  22  147-53.    John  18:  i-ii,  [12]. 
§  138.  The  trial  before  the  Jewish  authorities. 

Matt.  26  :  57—27  :  10.  Mark  14 :  53-72.   Luke  22 :  54-71 .   John  18 :  12-27. 
[Mark  15:1a.] 
§  139.  The  trial  before  Pilate. 

Matt.  27:  [2]  11-31.    Mark  15:1-20.    Luke23:i-25.     John  18  :  28 -19:16a. 
§  140.  The  crucifixion. 

Matt.  27  :  32-56.  Mark  15  : 21-41.  Luke  23  : 26-49.   Joho  ^9  '•  i6<5-37. 

§  141.  The  burial. 

Matt.  27  :  57-61 .  Mark  15  :  42-47.  Luke  23 :  50-56^.  John  19  :  38-42. 

§  142.  The  watch  at  the  sepulcher. 

Matt.  27:62-66. 

^  318.  Notes  on  §  136,  Mark  14  :  32-42. — The  agony  in  Gethsemane 
is  one  of  those  events  in  the  life  of  Jesus  that  require  meditation  rather 
than  explanation.  In  no  other  crisis  of  his  life  does  Jesus  appear  more 
one  of  us,  and  at  the  same  time  more  truly  our  Master.  Vs.  32,  "place 
which  was  named  Gethsemane"  :  /'.  e.,  an  estate  known  as  Gethsemane, 
or  "the  oil  press."  Its  precise  location  is  not  known.  The  traditional 
site  is  in  a  grove  of  very  ancient  olive  trees  on  the  western  slope  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  just  above  the  valley  of  Kedron.  "  While  I  pray  "  : 
Notice  again  the  prayerful  habit  of  Jesus.  Vs.  33,  "  amazed"  :  Jesus 
had  for  months  contemplated  the  certainty  of  a  violent  death,  but  now 
that  it  was  imminent  and  to  result  from  a  friend's  treachery  and  the 
nation's  rejection  of  him,  its  awfulness  appalled  him.  Vs.  36,  "this 
cup":  /.  e.,  his  approaching  death  and  all  it  involved  ;  dreaded,  we  must 
believe,  because  of  the  causes  that  led  to  it  rather  than  the  mere  pain  it 
involved.  But  it  is  not  legitimate  to  read  into  the  words  any  reference 
to  bearing  other  men's  punishments.  It  is  a  universal  law  that  the 
good,  because  they  are  good,  suffer  from  the  sin  of  the  wicked. 
Jesus  dreaded  suffering  and  death,  not  punishment.  Punishment,  as 
such,  cannot  be  transferred  from  the  guilty  to  the  innocent.     Further 

257 


258 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


than  this  speculation  as  regards  the  agony  in  Gethsemane  should  not 
go.  "Not  what  I  will"  :  Jesus  in  his  agony  could  yet  trust  God  as 
Father,  and  believe  his  will  to  be  loving.  Here  is  the  true  model 
prayer.  Vs.  37.  Compare  the  boast  of  Peter  only  a  few  hours  before. 
The  disciples  had  not  believed  Jesus'  prophecies  of  his  death,  and  were 
therefore  unaffected  by  that  which  he  saw  was  in  the  immediate  future. 
Notice  Jesus'  need  of  human  companionship.     Vs.  38  is  possibly  an 


GETHSEMANE 

addition  of  words  spoken  by  Jesus  under  different  circumstances.  Vs. 
41,  ''Sleep  on  now,"  etc.:  Two  interpretations  of  the  Greek  of  this 
verse  are  possible  :  (i)  That  commonly  accepted,  which  translates  the 
original  as  an  imperative.  Jesus  had  mastered  himself,  and  the  hour 
of  triaj  had  passed.  "It  is  enough"  :  Jesus  no  longer  needed  the  sup- 
port he  had  asked  of  them  a  few  moments  previously.  They  might 
sleep,  while  he,  confident  of  himself  and  of  his  Father's  love,  awaited 
the  traitor.  (2)  That  which  makes  the  original  a  declaration  of  surprise  : 
"So  then  you  are  sleeping  and  are  taking  your  rest !"  While  Jesus 
had  been  struggling  in  agony,  they  had  refused  to  give  him  the  support 
even  of  wakefulness.     On   the  whole,  this  second  interpretation  best 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS  259 

accords  with  the  context  and  the  usage  of  the  somewhat  unusual  Greek 
expression.  Vs.  42  implies  that  now,  as  at  other  times  (<f.  g.,  John 
8:59),  Jesus  did  not  court,  but  sought  to  avoid,  unnecessary  danger. 

Luke  22  :  43,  44  do  not  occur  in  most  of  the  best  manuscripts,  and 
are  probably  interpolated. 

^319.  Notes  on  §137,  Mark  14:43-52. — Vs.  43,  ''from  the  chief 
priests  and  scribes  and  elders"  :  i.e.,  probably,  from  the  Sanhedrin. 
The  force  was  doubtless  chiefly  composed  of  the  temple  police  {cf. 
Luke  22:52),  though  John  18:3  mentions  also  a  cohort,  or  several 
hundred  soldiers,  doubtless  from  the  garrison.  The  authorities  evi- 
dently feared  resistance,  if  not  a  popular  uprising.  Vs.  44.  The  use 
of  a  kiss  as  a  means  of  betrayal  seems  especially  to  have  shocked  Jesus 
(Luke  22:  47).  Vs.  47.  The  impetuous  disciple  who  attempted  to 
defend  his  Lord  was  Peter  (John  18  :  10).  The  question  of  Luke 
22:49  may  possibly  have  been  suggested  by  the  words  of  Jesus  in 
Luke  22  :  36.  Vs.  49,  "  that  the  scriptures  might  be  fulfilled  "  :  These 
words  imply  Jesus'  conception  as  to  the  true  nature  of  his  mission. 
He  must  show,  by  his  submission,  that  suffering  was  a  part  of  the  mes- 
sianic work.  Compare  Luke  24:  25-27,  44,  45.  Vs.  51.  This  young 
man  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  the  evangelist  Mark. 

If  320.  Notes  on  §  137,  John  18  :  i-ii. — Vs.  i  :  "  The  brook  Kidron  " 
ran  through  the  valley  between  Jerusalem  and  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
At  present  its  bed  contains  no  water  except  during  the  rainy  season  or 
immediately  after  a  heavy  rain.  Vs.  3,  "band":  better  "cohort,"  a 
tenth  of  a  legion,  and  containing  normally  about  600  men,  but  often 
much  smaller.  It  was  commanded  by  a  tribune  or  chiliarch  (vs.  12). 
A  century  constituted  a  sixth  of  a  cohort.  Vs.  4.  Cf.  Mark  14:49. 
Vs.  6,  "they  went  backward,"  etc.:  There  was  nothing  miraculous 
about  this  experience.  The  crowd,  many  of  whom  knew  of  Jesus  as  a 
wonder-worker,  recoiled  at  his  approach,  doubtless  fearing  lest  he  was 
about  to  use  his  powers  against  them.  Vs.  8.  Notice  the  heroism  and 
forethought  of  Jesus.  Vs.  9  is  a  parenthetical  comment  of  the  evangelist. 
The  reference  is  to  John  17:12. 

^321.  The  Trial  before  the  Jewish  Authorities. —  In  studying  the 
account  of  the  trial  of  Jesus  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that 
it  consisted  of  two  parts  :  the  trial  before  the  Jewish  authorities,  and  that 
before  Pilate.  Each  evangelist  relates  the  Jewish  trial  in  his  own  way; 
Matthew  alone  following  Mark.  John,  indeed,  describes  only  a  trial 
before  Annas,  but  speaks  of  Jesus'  having  been  sent  to  Caiaphas ;  Mark, 
Matthew,  and  Luke  speak  of  a  trial  before  Caiaphas  and  the  Sanhedrin, 


260  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

resulting  in  condemnation  ;  but  the  order  of  events  in  Luke  is  not 
that  in  Mark,  and  the  Sanhedrin,  rather  than  the  high  priest,  is  repre- 
sented as  asking  the  question  as  to  Jesus'  messiahship.  Yet  these 
variations  are,  after  all,  capable  of  explanation,  and  the  course  of 
events  may  with  all  probability  be  said  to  have  been  this  :  (i)  Upon  his 
arrest  Jesus  was  hurried  to  the  house  of  Annas  for  a  preliminary  and 
unofficial  examination,  John  i8  :  12-24.  (2)  He  was  taken  to  the 
house  of  Caiaphas,  where  he  was  formally  but  illegally  tried  by 
the  Sanhedrin,  by  which  he  was  condemned;  Mark  14:53-72  and 
parallels.  Concerning  the  place  of  Peter's  denial  in  the  narrative 
and  the  possible  distinction  between  a  night  and  morning  trial,  see 
below. 

^  322.  Notes  on  §  138,  John  18  :  12-27. —  i-  "^he  examination  before 
Annas. — Vs.  13,  "Annas":  This  man,  the  head  of  a  family  which 
furnished  several  high  priests,  had  himself  held  the  high-priesthood, 
7-14  A.  D.  (See  Josephus,  Ant.^  xviii,  2:1,  2  ;  xx,  9  :  i.)  He  seems 
to  have  retained  the  title  by  courtesy  {cf.  Luke  3:  2).  Vss.  15-18  are 
very  possibly  out  of  chronological  order.  See  below.  Vss.  19-21 
show  Jesus'  regard  for  his  legal  rights  as  a  prisoner.  No  charge  had 
been  preferred  against  him,  the  private  examination  before  Annas 
was  contrary  to  express  provisions  of  the  rabbinical  criminal  code, 
and  his  refusal  to  bear  testimony  under  such  circumstances  against 
himself  was  thoroughly  legal.  The  same  can  be  said  of  his  demand 
that  if  charges  were  to  be  brought  against  him  they  should  be  brought 
by  witnesses.  Vs.  23.  The  reply  of  Jesus  was  an  appeal  to  justice 
and  legal  procedure.  He  had  simply  demanded  that  his  prosecutors 
introduce  witnesses.  With  the  exhibition  of  the  brutality  of  the  officer 
the  informal  examination  closed,  and  Jesus  was  sent  whither  he  should 
have  first  been  carried — to  the  high  priest  and  the  Sanhedrin. 

It  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the  newly  discovered  Syriac  MS,  {Sinai- 
ticus  Syrus)  is  correct,  and  that  vs.  24  belongs  immediately  after  vs.  13.  If  this 
be  the  case,  all  of  the  material  here  assigned  to  the  examination  before  Annas 
must  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the  account  of  the  only  trial  endured  by 
Jesus  before  Jewish  authorities,  viz.,  that  before  Caiaphas  and  the  Sanhedrin. 
If  there  were  any  examination  held  by  Annas  (vs.  13),  we  should  then  know 
nothing  of  it. 

^323.  Notes  on  §138,  Mark  14:53-72. — 2.  The  trial  before  the 
Sanhedrin. — Vs.  53,  "all  the  high  priests,"  etc.:  /.  e.,  the  entire  San- 
hedrin {cf.  vs.  55).  If  Luke  22  :  66-7 1  is  not  an  account  of  the  same 
trial  as  that  of   Mark   14:53-64,  the  ecclesiastical  trial  consisted   of 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF   JESUS  26 1 

three  parts:  (i)  the  preliminary  examination  before  Annas ;  (2)  a  trial 
before  daybreak  before  the  high  priest  and  a  part  of  the  Sanhedrin 
(perhaps  the  so-called  Small  Sanhedrin,  composed  of  the  twenty-three 
necessary  for  a  quorum) ;  (3)  a  trial  after  daybreak  before  the  entire  San- 
hedrin. Such  a  combination  of  the  texts  has  arguments  in  its  favor, but 
on  the  whole  it  seems  better  to  identify  the  two  accounts,  that  of  Matthew- 
Mark  and  that  of  Luke.  This,  however,  does  not  prevent  our  holding  with 
all  the  synoptists  that  the  entire  Sanhedrin  waited  until  day  before  for- 
mally condemning  Jesus.  Vs.  55,  ''sought  witness":  In  Jewish  courts 
concurrent  testimonies  were  necessary  to  framing  an  indictment.  If  two 
witnesses  brought  the  same  evidence  against  a  man,  he  was  regarded 
as  being  under  indictment.  If,  however,  this  evidence  did  not 
exactly  coincide  in  every  detail,  no  indictrnent  could  be  found,  and  the 
prisoner  was  discharged.  In  fact,  Jewish  criminal  procedure  was  care- 
fully intended  to  make  conviction  in  a  capital  offense  difficult.  The 
enemies  of  Jesus,  therefore,  were  in  desperate  straits.  They  must 
procure  evidence  sufficient  to  lead  to  indictment  on  a  charge  that  would 
stand  in  the  Roman  court,  and  they  must  procure  evidence  sufficient 
to  condemn  him  in  the  Sanhedrin.  In  neither  case  was  such  evidence 
available  (vs.  56).  Vs.  57,  "  false  witness  "  :  In  oriental  courts  today 
it  is  said  to  be  possible  to  hire  witnesses  to  testify  to  any  charge,  at 
least  in  so  far  as  to  warrant  an  indictment.  Possibly  it  was  this  sort 
of  witness  now  employed.  Vs.  58.  The  charge  here  brought  forward 
is  an  instance  of  the  failure  of  the  priests.  Jesus,  to  our  knowledge, 
never  uttered  *he  words  here  quoted.  The  nearest  approach  to  them  is 
in  John  2:19.  Vs.  59,  "did  not  agree":  Had  the  Sanhedrin  been 
proceeding  according  to  its  ordinary  rules,  J^sus  must  now  have  been 
released,  for  even  without  the  assistance  of  witnesses  testifying  in  his 
favor  there  was  nothing  to  condemn  him.  In  fact,  no  indictment  had 
been  brought  against  him,  since  the  testimony  of  those  employed  for 
this  purpose  had  not  precisely  agreed.  Vs.  60.  In  this  situation,  the 
high  priest,  instead  of  releasing  him,  resorts  to  further  illegal  methods: 
he  attempts  to  compel  the  prisoner  to  testify  against  himself — some- 
thing as  much  forbidden  by  law  in  Jewish  as  in  American  procedure. 
Vs.  61,  "held  his  peace" :  Jesus  was  evidently  aware  of  his  legal  rights 
anjd  refused  to  speak  so  long  as  no  charge  had  been  established  against 
which  he  needed  to  defend  himself.  "Art  thou  the  Christ?":  Matt. 
26 :  63  gives  the  solemn  formula  with  which  the  high  priest  intro- 
duced the  question.  Jesus  could  not  be  silent  longer,  though  legally 
not  obliged  to  answer.     But  something  more  than   life  was  at  stake 


262  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

{cf.  Mark- 8  :  35).  Vs.  62,  "ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man,"  etc.:  Again 
Jesus  thinks  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom,  when  his  judges  would 
themselves  be  judged.  Vs.  64,  "blasphemy":  It  is  hard  to  see  in 
what  this  lay.  Jesus  had  simpTy'said  he  was  the  Christ.  To  the  San- 
hedrin,  however,  such  a  claim  made  by  a  wretched  criminal  might  well 
seem  to  merit  the  term,  and  instead  of  investigating  the  one  charge 
preferred  under  which  Jesus  could  have  been  tried,  they  did  not  even 
summon  the  witnesses  to  whom  Jesus  appealed,  but  condemned  him  to 
death.  Vs.  65.  This  outrageous  treatment  presupposed  that  Jesus  was 
a  condemned  criminal.  In  itself  this  constitutes  another  illegal  ele- 
ment in  his  trial.  How  illegal  had  been  the  proceedings  is  to  be 
seen  in  that,  according  to  Jewish  law,  it  was  forbidden  (i)  to  try  criminals 
in  the  night;  (2)  to  pass  judgment  of  death  before  one  night  had 
elapsed  after  the  trial ;  (3)  to  try  criminal  cases  on  the  day  before  the 
sabbath  or  a  feast.  Vss.  66-72.  The  parallel  statements  contain 
nothing  important  in  addition  to  the  account  of  Mark.  The  denial 
of  Peter  requires  no  comment  except  the  statements  that  Peter  had 
expected  to  be  brave,  that  he  had  dared  to  go  to  the  high  priest's  palace, 
that  he  became  insanely  panic-stricken,  that  he  repented.  So  far  from 
condemning  him,  one  may  well  look  to  himself  lest  he  also,  despite  the 
best  of  intentions,  be  swept  off  his  feet  by  some  unexpected  challenge 
to  his  loyalty.  Vs.  15:1,  "and  straightway  in  the  morning,"  etc.: 
They  were  thus  far  regardful  of  Jewish  procedure :  they  waited  for  the 
day  before  pronouncing  final  sentence.  Actually,  however,  even  then, 
as  has  already  been  said,  they  were  acting  illegally  in  condemning 
Jesus  to  death.  "The  chief  priests  with  the  elders  and  the  scribes,  and 
the  whole  council":  /.  e.,  the  Sanhedrin.  While  the  priests  were  most 
prominent  in  procuring  the  condemnation  of  Jesus,  the  Pharisees  were 
also  deeply  involved. 

^  324.  The  Trial  before  Pilate.  —  The  Sanhedrin  could  condemn,  but 
it  could  not  execute  a  criminal.  That  was  reserved,  either  with  or  with- 
out a  new  trial,  for  the  Roman  procurator,  Pontius  Pilate.  In  order 
to  bring  about  a  trial  by  this  Roman,  it  was  necessary  to  formulate  a 
charge  that  merited  de^th  under  Roman  law.  That  upon  which  Jesus 
had  just  been  condenwied  would  have  stood  no  more  in  the  court  of 
Pilate  than  that  against  Paul  with  Gallio  in  Corinth. 

The  charge  actually  preferred  by  the  priests  was  that  of  Ihe-uiajeste 
or  attempted  revolution  (Luke  23:2).  Pilate  convinces  himself  of  the 
idleness  of  this  accusation,  and  attempts  to  release  Jesus,  when  he 
meets  with  the  settled  determination   of    the   priests,  and    is    at    last 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS  263 

induced  to  sacrifice  an  innocent  man  in  order  to  protect  himself  from 
accusation  before  the  imperial  court. 

The  material  for  constructing  an  account  of  this  new  trial  of  Jesus 
may  thus  be  arranged  : 

(a)  The  Jews  bring  Jesus  before  Pilate,  but  refuse  to  formulate  an  accusa- 
tion. Mark  15:1.  Luke  23  :  i.  John  18  :  28-31. 

(d)  The  charge  of  treason  is  preferred  against  Jesus. 

Luke  23  :  2. 
(c)   The  examination  of  Pilate  and  the  confession  of  Jesus. 

Matt.  27:11.       ,    Mark  15:2.  Luke  23  :  3.  John  18  :  33-38^. 

(^)  The  acquittal  by  Pilate.  Luke  23  :  4.  John  18  r38<^. 

(e)  The  renewed  accusation. 

Matt.  27  :  12-14.     Mark  15:3-5.         Luke  23  :  5. 
(/)  Pilate  sends  Jesus  to  Herod.  Luke  23  :6-i2. 

(^)  Second  acquittal  and  proposed  release  of  Jesus  by  Pilate. 

Luke  23  :  13-16. 
(^)  The  priests  cause  the  people  to  prefer  Barabbas. 

Matt.  27  :  15-21.     Mark  15:6-11.       Luke  23  :  18,  19.      John  18  :  39,  40. 
(/)  The  crowd  demands  that  Jesus  be  crucified. 

Matt.  27  :  22,  23.     Mark  15  :  12-14.     Luke  23  :  20-23. 
(j)  Pilate  sacrifices  Jesus  to  the  priests  without  condemning  him. 

Matt.  27  :  24-26.     Mark  15:  15.  Luke  23  :  24,  25.      John  19:1. 

[k)  The  soldiers  abuse  Jesus  preparatory  to  the  crucifixion. 

Matt.  27:27-30.     Mark  15  :  16-19.  John  19:2,  3. 

(/)   After  a  final  attempt  to  release  him,  Pilate  formally  condemns  Jesus  as 

a  matter  of  self-preservation.  John  19:4-15. 

(m)  Jesus  taken  to  be  crucified. 

Matt.  27:31.  Mark  15:20.  John  19:16. 

^325.  Notes  on  §  139,  Mark  15  : 1-20. — Vs.  i.  Pontius  Pilate  had 
been  appointed  by  Tiberius  as  procurator  of  Judea  in  the  twelfth  year 
of  his  reign,  /.  e.,  25  or  26  A.  D.  His  administration  was  marked  by 
severity,  and  he  was  regarded  by  Jews  like  Philo  and  Josephus  as  a 
bad  governor  and  a  bad  man.  The  evidence  they  adduce,  however, 
hardly  supports  these  charges.  He  remained  in  office  ten  years,  but 
was  then  sent  by  the  procurator  of  Syria  to  Rome  for  trial,  as  an  act 
of  favor  to  the  Jews  and  Samaritans  whom  he  had  treated  severely.  If 
tradition  is  to  be  trusted,  he  was  punished  by  Caligula.  Vs.  2,  "and 
Pilate  asked  him,  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?":  The  occasion  of 
this  question  is  supplied  in  John  18:29-31,  which  relates  Pilate's 
demand  for  an  accusation  and  the  Jews'  unsuccessful  attempt  to  induce 
Pilate  to  sentence  Jesus  on  their  condemnation  alone  (see  ^327),  and 


264  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

in  Luke  23  :  2,  which  gives  the  Jews'  charge  against  Jesus  (see  ^326). 
**Thou  sayest":  equivalent  to  *'yes."  Vss.  6,  7.  The  origin  of  this 
custom  is  not  known.  "Insurrection":  possibly  a  revolt  of  the  Zealots 
or  extreme  messianic  party.  Vs.  8;  "The  multitude  went  up": 
Hitherto  Pilate  has  been  dealing  with  the  Sanhedrin.  The  crowd 
comes  to  plead  for  the  procurator's  annual  pardon,  and  therefore 
joined  the  more  aristocratic  group  in  the  courtyard  of  the  palace. 
Vss.  9,  10.  Note  the  appeal  of  Pilate  from  the  priests  to  this  newly 
arrived  crowd.  Evidently  he  expects  that  they  will  call  for  Jesus  and 
thus  relieve  him  from  the  alternative  of  offending  the  priests  or 
executing  an  innocent  man.  Vs.  11,  "the  priests  stirred  up  the 
multitude,"  etc.:  They  thus  spoiled  the  well-intended  but  cowardly 
plan  of  Pilate.  Vss.  13,  14,  "crucify  him":  This  is  the  cry  of  the 
mob.  Pilate's  question  is  addressed  to  it.  He  knows  the  purpose  of 
the  priests.  Note  that  throughout  Mark's  narrative  of  the  trial  it  is 
the  priests  and  not  the  Pharisees  who  urge  the  mob  on  to  demand 
the  death  of  a  man  already  acquitted  by  Pilate.  Matthew  (27:20), 
however,  includes  the  "elders,"  or  members  of  the  Sanhedrin.  Vs.  15. 
Note  carefully  that  Pilate  is  handing  over  an  innocent  man  to  death 
simply  to  please  the  mob.  "Scourged":  This  was  a  common  fore- 
runner of  crucifixion.  The  instrument  used  was  a  whip  with  leather 
lashes  loaded  with  lead  and  iron.  It  cut  the  flesh  to  the  bone,  and 
sometimes  itself  caused  death.  It  nearly  killed  Jesus.  Vs.  16,  "prae- 
torium":  The  reference  is  to  the  court  of  the  procuratorial  palace. 
This  building  was  probably  close  to,  possibly  formed  a  part  of,  the 
castle  of  Antonia,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  temple  area.  Some 
scholars  identify  it  with  Herod's  magnificent  praetorium,  or  palace, 
which  stood  on  the  western  edge  of  the  city.  See  further  ^[327. 
Vs.  17,  "clothe  him  with  purple":  doubtless  some  old  officer's  or 
soldier's  cloak  {cf.  Matt.  27:28).  Vs.  18,  "king  of  the  Jews":  It 
will  be  recalled  that  this  was  the  charge  brought  against  Jesus,  and 
under  which  he  died.  The  mockery  was  of  the  people  as  well  as  of 
Jesus. 

Matt.  27  :  19-25  contains  an  important  addition  of  the  first  gospel. 
Vs.  19.  The  belief  in  the  importance  of  dreams  was  general  among 
the  Romans  and  Jews,  even  among  the  best  educated  of  them,  such  as 
Pliny  and  Josephus.  It  seems  to  have  been  customary  for  the  governors 
of  provinces  to  be  accompanied  by  their  wives,  although  the  senate 
attempted  to  check  the  custom.  Vs.  24.  This  act  of  Pilate  was  intended 
to  signify  his  belief  that  Jesus  was  not  being  legally  condemned,  but 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS  265 

sacrificed    to    the    popular   will.      Vs.    25.      The    people   accept    the 
responsibility. 

^326.  Notes  on  §  139,  Luke  23:1-25. —  Luke's  narrative  contains 
two  important  additions  to  that  of  Mark  :  the  accusation  lodged  by  the 
Jews  (vs.  2  ;  cf.  ^[323),  and  the  account  of  the  sending  of  Jesus  to  Herod 
Antipas  (vss.  14-16).  Vs.  2,  "perverting  our  nation  ":  /.  e.,  urging  it 
to  revolt.  "Forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar":  a  specific  act  of 
revolt;  but  in  fact  the  charge  was  absolutely  false.  "Saying  that  he  is 
Christ  a  king":  the  acme  of  treason  from  the  Roman  point  of  view. 
It  is  this  last  elemcMt  that  attracted  Pilate's  attention.  See  Mark  15:2. 
Vs.  5.  The  reference  to  Judea  implies  that  Jesus  had  done  more 
teaching  there  than  the  synoptists  record.  Vs.  6.  Pilate  had  no 
jurisdiction  over  Galilee,  or  over  Galileans,  except  as  they  were 
offenders  against  the  peace  of  the  province,  Judea,  over  which  he 
was  procurator.  Vs.  7,  "of  Herod's  jurisdiction":  Herod  Antipas 
was  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea,  and  consequently  Jesus  was  his  sub- 
ject. He  was  doubtless  in  Jerusalem  to  observe  the  Passover.  In 
sending  Jesus  to  Herod,  Pilate  took  a  step  toward  healing  the  breach 
between  himself  and  the  tetrarch  (vs.  12).  Vs.  8,  "  He  had  heard  con- 
cerning him":  cf.  Matt.  6:14-16;  Luke  9:9.  Vss.  14,  15.  These 
verses  record  Pilate's  formal  acquittal  of  Jesus.  He  should  therefore 
have  released  him.  Vs.  16.  Instead  he  attempted  a  compromise.  By 
scourging  Jesus  he  thought  he  would  pacify  the  priests,  and  by 
releasing  him  he  would  satisfy  his  Roman  sense  of  justice.  But  in 
scourging  Jesus  he  was  treating  him  as  a  criminal.  It  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end. 

^327.  Notes  on  §  139,  John  18:28 — 19:16^. —  Vs.  28,  "early":  cf. 
Mark  13  :  35  ;  about  6  a.  m.  "They  entered  not  in,"  etc.:  The  house 
of  a  gentile  defiled.  "Might  eat  the  Passover":  the  author's  explana- 
tion of  why  they  did  not  wish  to  be  defiled.  See  ^  308.  Jesus  appar- 
ently was  within  the  palace.  Vss.  29,  30.  Pilate  began  with  the 
formal  question  as  to  the  accusation  under  which  he  could  try  Jesus. 
The  Jews  at  first  attempt  to  compel  him  to  pronounce  sentence  with- 
out trial,  upon  their  condemnation,  and  give  no  accusation.  Pilate 
replies  in  scorn  (vs.  30).  Thereupon  the  Jews  admit  their  inability  to 
execute  their  condemned  criminals  (vs.  31).  Singularly  enough,  the 
Talmud  states  that  the  power  of  life  and  death  was  taken  from  the 
Sanhedrin  forty  years  before  the  destruction  of  the  temple  (70  A.  D.). 
Vs.  32.  This  verse  is  the  evangelist's  or  editor's  explanation  of  why 
Jesus  was  crucified  rather  than  stoned  {cf.  John  12  :  32,  33). 


266  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

Vss.  33,  34.  All  the  evangelists  agree  that,  in  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion of  Pilate,  Jesus  admitted  that  he  was  a  king.  John,  however, 
gives  especial  details.  Vs.  34,  "Sayest  thou  this  of  thyself?"  etc.: 
The  force  of  this  question  is  this :  "  Am  I  to  understand  that  I  am 
actually  confronting  the  charge  adduced  by  the  Jews  ?  "  Jesus  knew 
the  Sanhedrin  had  condemned  him  on  the  charge  of  blasphemy  for 
declaring  himself  to  be  the  Christ.  Vss.  36,  37.  Jesus  honestly  admits 
that  he  is  a  king,  though  not  of  a  political  kingdom.  He  knows  that 
such  an  admission  may  mean  death,  but  will  not  equivocate.  "He  had 
come  into  the  world  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth."  Notice  throughout 
this  trial  that  Jesus  knows  his  legal  rights,  but  refuses  to  protect  him- 
self at  the  cost  of  throwing  the  slightest  suspicion  upon  his  concep- 
tion of  his  mission.  It  was  better  to  lose  his  life  than  save  it  at  the 
expense  of  his  ideals  and  his  mission.  "Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a 
king":  equivalent  to  an  affirmation.  John's  account,  from  this  point 
to  19:3,  is  similar  to  that  of  the  synoptists.  With  19:4,  however, 
begins  the  account  of  Pilate's  last  efforts  to  placate  the  Jews  and  avoid 
condemning  an  innocent  man.  Some  of  its  particulars  resemble  those 
appearing  earlier  in  the  trial,  but  vss.  4,  5  make  it  evident  that  they 
belong  after  the  scourging  had  been  afflicted.  Vs.  5,  "Behold  the 
man  !":  Pilate  doubtless  hoped  the  pitiable  condition  of  Jesus  would 
appeal  to  the  hearts  of  his  enemies.  Vs.  7.  The  priests  will  not  kill 
Jesus  illegally.  He  must  be  condemned  and  executed  by  the  Romans. 
They  therefore  bring  in  a  new  charge,  and  one  which  might  easily  be 
interpreted  as  a  violation  of  the  rights  guaranteed  Judaism.  Vs.  8, 
"afraid":  Jesus  had  deeply  impressed  Pilate,  and  this  new  charge 
appealed  to  the  Roman's  superstition.  Vs.  11,  "He  that  delivered 
me  :"  /.  e.,  Caiaphas.  Jesus,  always  just,  while  not  excusing  Pilate, 
sees  that,  because  he  occupies  an  office  to  which  he  had  been  in  God's 
providence  appointed,  he  is  under  the  necessity  of  pronouncing  sen- 
tence, and  that  he  is  about  to  yield  to  the  pressure  of  the  priests.  He 
righteously  condemns  the  latter  as  the  real  offenders  against  justice. 
Vs.  12.  Pilate's  intentions  are  good,  but  the  priests  very  skilfully  com- 
pel him  to  balance  the  life  of  Jesus  against  his  own  interests.  If  he 
had  not  condemned  Jesus,  how  could  he  have  justified  himself  before 
the  emperor,  should  the  priests  charge  him  with  having  released  a  man 
"speaking  against  Caesar"?  All  evidence  would  be  against  him,  and 
Tiberius  in  his  later  years  would  hardly  have  appreciated  any  plea 
Pilate  could  make.  It  would  have  been  all  but  impossible  to  convince 
the  emperor  that  he  should  have  released  a  man  whom  the  religious 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS 


267 


ECCE  HOMO  ••  ARCH 


268  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

head  of  the  Jews  himself  denounced  as  a  traitor  and  rebel.  Further  than 
this,  it  may  very  well  have  been  that  Pilate  had  already  given  offense  to 
the  Jews  on  the  grounds  stated  by  Philo  and  Josephus.  He  therefore 
chose  to  protect  his  own  interests.  What,  after  all,  was  the  life  of  a 
poor  enthusiast  when  compared  with  the  career  of  a  Roman  procu- 
rator!  Vs.  13,  "the  pavement":  /.  e.,  of  the  court  of  the  palace.  It 
is  not  altogether  impossible  that  a  portion  of  this  very  pavement  has 
been  uncovered  under  the  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Zion,  just  north 
of  the  temple  area,  near  the  Ecce  Homo  arch.  The  pavement  was  evi- 
dently used  at  some  time  by  Roman  soldiers,  since  it  has  scratched 
upon  it  gambling  devices,  such  as  are  numerous  in  the  Roman  pave- 
ments of  Italy.  The  chair  upon  which  Pilate  sat  was  the  official  seat  of 
the  procurator  when  pronouncing  sentence.  Vs.  14,  **the  preparation 
of  the  Passover":  /.  e.,  Friday  of  Passover  week  (Mark  15  :  42).  Friday 
was  ordinarily  called  the  Preparation,  /.  e.,  the  day  on  which  conscien- 
tious Jews  were  to  prepare  everything  for  the  sabbath.  This  sabbath 
fell  in  the  Passover  week.  "The  sixth  hour":  about  12,  noon. 
Mark  says  (15:  25)  "the  third  hour," /.  V.,  9.  No  completely  satis- 
factory adjustment  of  the  two  statements  has  yet  been  suggested.  Per- 
haps the  two  accounts  should  be  combined,  placing  the  time  of  the 
condemnation  9-12  a.  m.  Vs.  15,  "We  have  no  king  but  Cassar": 
the  priests  were  of  the  official  class  and  ready  to  make  this  statement, 
so  hateful  to  the  people  at  large. 

\  328.  Notes  on  §  140,  Mark  15  :  21-41. —  Vs.  21,  "coming  from  the 
country"  :  not  necessarily  from  work.  As  the  sad  procession  passed 
out,  Simon  was  met  coming  into  the  city.  "Alexander  and  Rufus": 
doubtless  two  well-known  members  of  the  Christian  community;  pos- 
sibly those  named  in  Rom.  16:13  and  Acts  19  :  33.  "  The  cross  "  :  the 
most  disgraceful  and  one  of  the  most  awful  instruments  of  torture 
among  the  Romans.  It  was  commonly  made  by  crossing  two  pieces 
of  timber,  the  upright  being  perhaps  eight  or  nine  feet  long,  and  com- 
monly left  standing  permanently  in  the  ground.  The  cross-bar  was 
carried  by  the  condemned  man,  and  to  it  his  hands  were  nailed  or  in 
some  other  way  fastened.  The  body  rested  upon  a  peg  driven  into  the 
upright  post.  The  person  thus  punished  ordinarily  died  from  starvation 
and  pain,  not  from  any  fatal  injury.  On  the  way  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion the  condemned  man  would  be  preceded  by  a  herald  bearing  a 
piece  of  wood  upon  which  was  written  the  name  of  the  crime  he  had 
committed.  This  would  be  nailed  to  the  cross  {cf.  vs.  26).  It  was 
while  Jesus,  completely  exhausted  from  his  treatment  at  the  hands  of 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS  269 

the  soldiers,  was  thus  being  led  to  his  death,  that  Simon  was  met,  and 
the  words  of  Luke  23:28-31  were  spoken.  Vs.  22,  "Golgotha": 
The  traditional  site  is  under  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  but 
of  late  years  many  scholars  favor  the  skull-like  eminence  just  outside 
the  present  wall  of  Jerusalem,  in  which  is  Jeremiah's  Grotto.  "The  place 
of  a  skull":  probably  with  reference  to  the  shape  of  the  hill,  though 
some  think  it  implies  rather  a  place  of  execution.  Vs.  23.  The  drink 
offered  Jesus  was  probably  of  the  nature  of  an  anaesthetic.  Matthew 
substitutes  "gall"  for  "myrrh."  Vs.  24.  The  clothes  of  the  con- 
demned man  were  gpven  to  the  executioners.  Vss.  29-32.  Notice  how 
the  various  charges  which  had  been  brought  forward  in  the  trial  are 
now  used  as  taunts.  Vs.  33,  "darkness":  if  taken  literally,  it  was 
probably  due  to  a  storm  of  sand.  An  eclipse  would,  of  course,  be 
impossible,  as  the  moon  was  full  at  Passover.  But  probably  the  phrase 
is  in  its  origin  metaphorical,  intended  to  express  the  blackness  of  the 
sin  which  culminated  in  the  crucifixion  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  fact 
that  during  these  three  hours  Jesus  was  suffering  the  agony  of  body  and 
mind  that  culminated  in  the  first  cry  recorded  by  Mark  (vs.  34).  Vs.  34. 
The  words  are  Aramaic.  Vs.  38,  "And  the  veil  of  the  temple  was 
rent":  the  old  mystery  surrounding  Israel's  God  had  vanished;  the 
age  of  types  had  passed ;  the  Holy  of  Holies  was  opened  to  every 
believer.  This,  rather  than  a  physical  fact,  is  perhaps  all  that  the  words 
should  be  taken  to  mean.  C/.  Heb.  10  :  19-22.  Vs.  39,  "a  son  of  God": 
The  margin  of  R.  V.  is  undoubtedly  right.  It  was  a  heathen  who 
uttered  these  words.  He  evidently  thought  of  Jesus  as  a  sort  of 
demi-god. 

^  329.  Notes  on  §140,  Matt.  27:32-56. —  Vss.  51/^-53  are  not  in 
Mark  and  are  apparently  an  addition  to  the  original  narrative  from 
some  comparatively  late  Christian  source. 

^  330.  Notes  on  §140,  Luke  23:26-49. — Vss.  28-31.  Notice  the 
persistent  love  of  Jesus  for  his  people,  and  his  clear  foresight  of  the 
horrors  to  which  the  Jews  would  be  subjected  by  the  Romans.  Vs.  31 
draws  the  comparison  between  his  sufferings  and  those  threatening  his 
people  by  the  use  of  a  current  proverb ;  the  green  tree  representing 
innocence,  and  the  dry  tree  guilt.  Vs.  34.  It  seems  a  pity  that  the 
manuscripts  do  not  allow  us  to  regard  these  beautiful  words  as  a  genuine 
part  of  Luke's  narrative.  For  we  cannot  fail  to  believe  they  represented 
the  spirit  of  Jesus  as  well  as  that  of  the  protomartyr  Stephen  (Acts 
7  :  6c).  Indeed,  we  can  scarcely  doubt  that,  though  not  from  Luke's 
hand,  they  (like  John  7  :  53 — 8  :  i)  represent  a  true  tradition.  Vss.  39-43. 


270  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

This  affecting  episode  is  recorded  only  by  Luke.  "  Paradise  "  :  accord- 
ing to  Jewish  thought  the  abode  of  those  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of 
God  (cf.  vs.  42). 

^  331.  Notes  on  §140,  John  19:  16^-37. —  John's  narrative  is  strik- 
ingly like  that  of  Mark,  though  with  more  traces  of  the  eyewitness. 
He  alone  of  the  Twelve  seems  to  have  witnessed  the  entire  tragedy. 
Vs.  20,  "  in  Hebrew  (Aramaic  ?),  in  Latin,  and  in  Greek":  /.  e.,  the  popu- 
lar, the  official,  and  the  commercial  and  literary  languages.  Vss.  26, 
27.  Note  the  filial  love  of  Jesus  in  his  last  moments.  Vs.  31,  "  prepara- 
tion "  :  see  \  327.  "  Legs  might  be  broken  "  :  a  frequent  way  of  killing 
those  on  the  cross.  The  Jewish  law  was  explicit  that  one  "  hung  upon 
a  tree"  should  be  taken  down  before  nightfall,  lest  his  corpse  should 
bring  pollution  in  the  land  (Deut.  21  :  26).  This  would  have  had  little 
weight  on  the  first  day  of  a  crucifixion,  for  the  victims  might  linger  on 
for  hours  and  even  for  days,  but  the  approach  of  the  sabbath  of  the 
Passover  week  led  them  to  ask  that  means  be  taken  to  insure  the 
immediate  death  and  removal  of  the  three  condemned  men.  Possibly 
they  feared  lest  the  great  day  be  polluted  by  one  of  the  three  succumb- 
ing during  the  night.  Vs.  33,  "dead  already"  :  The  cause  of  the  death 
of  Jesus  has  been  variously  conjectured.  Some  have  thought  it  was  due 
to  a  rupture  of  the  heart.  It  seems  at  any  rate  probable  that  it  was  due 
to  the  struggles  and  agonies  through  which  Jesus  had  passed.  Vs.  35, 
**he  that  hath  seen,"  etc.:     The  reference  is  to  the  apostle  John. 

^332.  Notes  on  §141,  Mark  15:42-47. — Vs.  42,  "the  preparation": 
See  •[[327.  Vs.  43,  "a  counselor":  /.  e.,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin. 
He  was  also  wealthy.  Vs.  46.  The  lateness  of  the  hour — just  before 
the  stars  appeared  that  should  declare  the  beginning  of  the  sabbath  — 
made  any  special  preparation  of  the  body  impossible.  This  was,  at 
least  in  part,  postponed  to  Sunday  {cf.  Luke  23  :  56  ;  24  :  i;  Mark  16:1; 
yet  see  John  19  :  40,  where  more  details  are  given).  Vs.  46,  "  a  tomb  ": 
The  traditional  site  is  under  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  within 
the  present  walls  of  Jerusalem.  It  has  lately  been  thought  that  it  may 
have  been  one  of  the  tombs  discovered  near  the  "  new  Calvary  "  {cf. 
^328),  not  far  from  Jeremiah's  Grotto.  "Rolled  a  stone  against  the 
door  of  the  tomb":  Circular  stone  doors  of  tombs  cut  in  the  living 
rock  are  still  to  be  seen  in  Palestine. 


If  333-     Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — (i)*  Give  an 
account  of  the  events  in  Gethsemane  before  the  appearance  of 


THE    ARREST,    TRIAL,    AND    DEATH    OF    JESUS  2/1 

Judas.  (2)  How  does  Jesus  gain  and  retain  the  mastery  of 
himself?  (3)  What  are  the  chief  elements  in  his  prayer  for 
deliverance  ? 

(4)*  Give  the  events  in  the  betrayal  of  Jesus.  (5)  What 
was  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  resistance  attempted  by  his  dis- 
ciples? (6)  Of  what  teachings  of  his  was  his  conduct  an  illus- 
tration ? 

(7)*  How  many  trials  did  Jesus  have?  (8)  Point  out  their 
illegalities.  (9)*.Describe  the  trial  before  Annas.  (10)  What 
charges  were  brought  against  him  in  the  trial  before  the  Sanhe- 
drin  ?  (n)*  How  was  he  finally  condemned  ?  (12)*  Give  an 
account  of  Peter's  denials.  (13)  Why  could  not  the  Jews  exe- 
cute Jesus  ? 

(14)  What  sort  of  charge  was  it  necessary  for  the  Jews  to 
establish  before  Pilate?  (15)*  What  do  they  attempt  at  first? 
What  charge  do  they  at  length  formulate?  (16)*  Give  an 
account  of  the  trial  before  Pilate.  (17)  What  questions  does 
Jesus  answer  ?  (18)*  What  questions  does  he  not  answer?  Can 
you  suggest  a  reason  for  his  silence  ?  (19)*  What  relation  did 
Barabbas  have  to  the  trial  of  Jesus  ?  (20)  What  finally  induced 
Pilate  to  condemn  Jesus  ?  (21)  Did  Jesus  die  as  an  innocent 
man?      (22)*  What  was  his  alleged"  crime? 

(23)*  Describe  the  punishment  by  crucifixion.  (24)*  What 
words  did  Jesus  utter  on  the  cross?  (25)  Who  of  his  disciples 
remained  with  him  till  the  end  ? 

(26)*  Describe  the  burial  of  Jesus. 

^334.  Constructive  Work. — Write  chap,  xxxiv  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ/'  considering  — 

1.  The  agony  and  betrayal  in  Gethsemane. 

2.  The  trial  before  the  Jewish  authorities. 

3.  The  trial  before  Pilate. 

4.  The  execution  and  burial  of  Jesus. 
^335.     Supplementary  Topics  for  Study 

I.  The  traditional  and  probable  location  of  (a)  Gethsemane,  (d) 
Calvary,  (c)  the  burial  place  of  Jesus. 

Stewart,  Land  of  Israel,  178-80,  200,  201;  Howe,  The  True  Site  of  Calvary. 
See  also  Dictionaries  of  the  Bible  and  a  number  of  papers  in  the  publications  of  the 
Palestine  Exploration  Fund, 


272  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

2.  The  criminal  trials  of  the  Jews. 

3.  The  trial  of  Jesus  in  the  light  of  the  legal  civil  procedure  in 
Jewish  and  Roman  courts. 

Innes,  The  Trial  of  Jesus  Christ. 

4.  The  bearing  of  Jesus  during  the  trials. 

5.  The  words  spoken  by  Jesus  upon  the  cross. 

6.  Tombs  and  burial  among  the  Jews. 

^  336.*  Review  Questions. — (  i )  How  many  days  are  covered 
by  the  record  of  Part  VIII  ?  (2)  Give  an  account  of  the  events 
of  Sunday.  (3)  What  was  the  purpose  of  the  triumphal  entry? 
(4)  Name  the  events  of  Monday.  (5)  Name  the  chief  events 
of  Tuesday.  (6)  What  is  the  most  prominent  thought  of  Jesus' 
discourses  to  the  Jews  on  that  day?  (7)  What  is  the  theme  of 
the  great  discourse  to  his  disciples  at  the  close  of  his  last  day 
in  the  temple?      (8)   What   events    precipitated    Jesus'   death? 

(9)  Give  the  chief  facts  concerning  Jesus'  last  Passover  supper. 

(10)  State    the    central  thoughts  of  Jesus*  farewell  discourses. 

(11)  Give  an  outline  of  Jesus'  two  trials.  (12)  What  was  the 
real  reason  for  his  condemnation  by  the  Jews?  (13)  By 
Pilate?  (14)  What  is  the  most  significant  element  of  Jesus' 
suffering  on  the  cross  ? 


Part  IX. 
THE  FORTY  DAYS. 

PROM  THE  RESURRECTION  UNTIL  THE  ASCENSION. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE    APPEARANCES    OF   JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION. 

§143.  The  resurrection  morning. 

Matt.  28 :  i-io.     Mark  16 :  z-ii.     Luke  23 :  $66 — 24  :  I2*   John  20  : 1-18. 
§  144.  The  report  of  the  watch. 

Matt.  28:11-15. 
§  145.  The  walk  to  Emmaus. 

Mark  16  :  12,  13.  Luke  24  :  13-35. 
§146.  The  appearance  to  the  ten  in  Jerusalem. 

Mark  16  :  14.         Luke  24  :  36-43.  John  20  :  19-25. 

§  147.  The  appearance  to  the  eleven  in  Jerusalem.  John  20  126-29. 

§  148.  The  appearance  to  the  seven  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.        John  21 : 1-24. 
§  149.  The  appearance  to  the  eleven  on  a  mountain  in  Galilee. 

Matt.  28  :  16-20.  Mark  16  :  15-18. 
§150.  Christ's  final  appearance  and  his  ascension. 

Mark  16  :  19,  20.  Luke  24  :  44-53. 
§  151.  The  conclusion  of  John's  gospel.  John  20 :30,  31. 

John  21 :  25. 

•|[337.  Preliminary  Survey  of  §§143-46. —  Before  entering  upon 
the  detailed  consideration  of  Jesus'  appearances  after  his  resurrection, 
it  will  be  well  to  take  a  preliminary  view  of  the  testimonies.  And 
here  we  must  include  what  is  on  some  accounts  the  most  important  of 
all,  the  testimony  of  the  apostle  Paul. 

The  following  table  is  simply  a  conspectus  of  the  testimony  of  the  several 
authorities,  and  of  the  relation  of  the  narratives  as  such  to  one  another. 
Accounts  so  closely  parallel  as  unquestionably  to  refer  to  the  same  event  are 
placed  opposite  one  another  in  the  parallel  columns.  Accounts  differing  in 
important  details,  though  quite  possibly  referring,  in  fact,  to  the  same  event, 
are  separated  ;  all  questions  of  the  relation  of  such  accounts  to  one  another 
and  of  the  real  order  of  events  are  left  for  treatment  in  the  notes. 

273 


274  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

§143.    THE    RESURRECTION    MORNING. 

(a)    The  women  come  to  the  tomb. 

Matt.  28  :  I.  Mark  16  :  i,  2.      Luke  24  :  i.  John  20  :  la, 

(J?)    The  earthquake,  and  appearance  of  the  angel  to  the  watchers. 

Matt.  28  :  2-4. 
(c)     The  women  discover  that  the  stone  is  rolled  away. 

Mark  16:3,4.      Luke  24:  2.  John  20  :  i<^. 

{dy  Mary  Magdalene  runs  to  bring  the  disciples  word. 

[Luke  24  :  io«.]     John  20  :  2. 
(«?)     The  angel  appears  to  the  women,  telling  them  that  Jesus  is  risen. 

Matt.  28  :  5-7.       Mark  16  :  5-7.      Luke  24  :  3-7. 
(/)   The  women  bring  the  disciples  word. 

Matt.  28:8.  Mark  16:8.  Luke  24:8-11. 

{g)    Peter  and  John  run  to  the  tomb.  Luke  24  :  12.        John  20  :  3-10. 

{h)    The  angels  appear  to  Mary.  John  20:  11-13. 

(/)     Jesus  appears  to  Mary. 

[Mark  16:9-11.]  John  20:  14-18. 

(y)     Jesus  appears  to  the  women. 

Matt.  28  :q,  10. 

(k)  §  U4-   THE  REPORT  OF  THE  WATCH. 

Matt.  28:  11-15. 

§145.      THE  WALK   TO    EMMAUS   [aND    THE  APPEARANCE    TO  PETER], 

(/)     The  appearance  to  Cleopas  and  his  companion. 

[Mark  16:12,  13.]    Luke  24  :  13-32. 
(m)   The  appearance  to  Peter.  [Luke  24  :  34.] 

I  Cor.  15  :  5^. 
(«)    The  return  of  Cleopas  and  his  companion  to  Jerusalem. 

Luke  24 : 33-35. 

§146.      THE    APPEARANCE    TO   THE    DISCIPLES   IN   JERUSALEM,    THOMAS 

BEING   ABSENT. 

{0)    The  appearance  to  the  eleven,  showing  them  his  hands  and  feet,  and 
eating  with  them. 

[Mark  16:  14.]       Luke  24  : 36-43.  John  20  :  19-23. 
I  Cor.  15:5^. 
(^)   The  refusal  of  Thomas  to  believe  without  also  seeing  him. 

John  20  :  24,  25. 

W)     §M7-      THE    APPEARANCE    TO    THOMAS    WITH    THE    OTHER    DISCIPLES. 

I  Cor.  15:5^-       John  20:26-29. 

^  The  arrangement  {d)-{j)  is  not  intended  as  a  solution  of  the  problem  of  har- 
monization or  an  enumeration  of  events,  but  as  a  conspectus  of  the  testimony.  Thus 
{d)  and  (/)  may  refer  to  the  same  fact  (so  represented  in  Luke  24:10);  so  also 
(^)  and  {h),  as  well  as  {i)  and  (>).     Cf.  \  345. 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  2/5 

(r)     §  148.      THE  APPEARANCE  TO  SEVEN  DISCIPLES  BY  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE, 

John  21  :  1-24. 

(s)      §149.  THE  APPEARANCE  TO  THE  ELEVEN  ON  A  MOUNTAIN  IN  GALILEE. 

Matt.  28:  16-20.  [Mark  16:  15-18.] 
Here  we  may  insert  from  Paul  : 
(/)     The  appearance  to  the  five  hundred.      i  Cor.  15:6. 
(u)    The  appearance  tc  James.  i  Cor.  15:7. 

§150.       CHRIST  S      FINAL     APPEARANCE      [tO     THE     TWELVE]     AND     HIS 

ASCENSION. 

(v)    Luke's  version  of  the  great  commission. 

Luke  24  :  44-49. 
(w)  The  ascension  [Mark  16:19,20.]  Luke  24  :  50-53. 

Acts  I  :6-ii. 
To  this  is  to  be  added  after  an  interval  of  months  or  years  : 
(x)    The  appearance  to  Paul.  i  Cor.  15:8. 

Cf.  also  I  Cor.  9:1;  Acts  9:  1-9;  22  ;  6-1 1  ;  26:  12-18. 

With  this  conspectus  of  the  testimony  before  us  we  have  still  to 
examine  some  matters  of  detail  before  attempting  to  organize  it  into 
a  continuous  narrative  or  to  estimate  its  value. 

II  338.  Notes  on  §143,  Mark  16.1-11.^ — (a)Ys.  i,  "when  the  sab- 
bath was  past":  2.  e.,  in  the  evening,  when  the  sabbath  was  over  — 
Saturday  evening,  according  to  our  way  of  speaking.  **  Bought 
spices"  :  but  did  not,  according  to  Mark,  take  them  to  the  tomb  till  the 
next  morning,  "  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  ....  when  the 
sun  was  risen "  (vs.  2).  With  this  statement  Luke  and  John  also 
agree  substantially,  though  John's  phrase  is  "while  it  was  yet  dark.'* 
On  Matthew's  statement  see  1[  339. 

(c)  Vs.  3,  "who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the 
tomb?":  cf.  Mark  15:46  (^332).  Vs.  4,  "they  see  that  the  stone  is 
rolled  back  " :  so,  for  substance,  all  the  accounts ;  Matthew  only  (28:  2-4) 
inserts  an  account  of  how  the  stone  was  removed. 

(e)  Vs.  7,  "he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee,"  etc.:  cf.  Mark 
14:  28. 

(/)  Vs.  8,  "  said  nothing  to  anyone  "  :  i.e.,  by  the  way ;  it  cannot  be 
inferred  that  they  did  not  bear  their  message  to  Peter  and  the  other 
disciples.  "For  they  were  afraid":  with  these  words  the  gospel  of 
Mark,  proper,  ends.  Vss.  9-20  are  quite  certainly  established  to  be  by 
a  later  hand.     Yet  it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  Mark  intended  to 

2  To  facilitate  reference  the  notes  in  this  and  the  following  sections  are  divided 
into  paragraphs  and  lettered  to  correspond  with  the  analysis  given  in  ^  337. 


276 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  2/7 

close  his  book  with  the  words  "they  were  afraid,"  giving  no  account 
either  of  the  report  of  the  women  to  the  disciples  or  of  the  appearance 
of  Jesus  to  any  of  his  disciples.  Either  he  was  interrupted  before  he  had 
completed  his  work,  or,  more  likely,  the  closing  leaf  was  destroyed  by 
accident  so  early  that  no  complete  copy  of  the  book  has  come  down  to 
us.  If  Matthew  and  Luke  agreed  at  this  point,  we  should  be  able  with 
some  degree  of  confidence  to  infer  how  Mark  read.  But  apparently 
even  Luke's  copy  of  Mark  was  incomplete. 

(/,  /,  0,  s,  w)  Vss.  9-20  contain  a  condensed  account  of  the  appearances 
of  Jesus  to  Mary  Magdalene,  to  the  two  who  went  into  the  country,  to  the 
eleven  as  they  sat  at  meat ;  of  the  great  commission  (apparently  on  the  same 
occasion  as  the  preceding),  and  of  the  ascension.  The  verses  thus  contain 
no  account  of  an  appearance  in  Galilee  such  as  14  :  28  and  16:7  lead  us  to 
expect.  Whether  these  verses  are  a  condensation  of  the  fuller  accounts  in  the 
other  gospels,  or  represent  an  independent  tradition,  is  not  altogether  certain; 
perhaps  both  elements  enter  into  the  case.  As  to  the  authorship  of  these 
verses,  in  an  Armenian  manuscript  of  the  gospels  written  986  A.  D.  the  para- 
graph is  attributed  to  Ariston,  by  whom  is  perhaps  meant  the  Aristion  who  is 
mentioned  by  Papias  as  one  of  the  disciples  of  the  Lord.  But  this  testimony 
is  hardly  conclusive. 

^339.  Notes  on  §143,  Matt.  28 :  i-io.— («)  Vs.  i,  "late  on  the  sab- 
bath day,  as  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  day  of  the  week": 
Understood  according  to  the  usual  Jewish  way  of  thinking  of  the 
day  as  ending  at  sunset,  this  would  place  the  visit  of  the  women  to 
the  tomb  just  before  sunset  Saturday  afternoon.  Nor  is  the  word 
"dawn"  opposed  to  this,  for  this  word  is  used  of  evening  in  Luke 
23:  54,  the  only  other  place  in  which  it  occurs  in  the  New  Testament. 
If  this  is  the  correct  interpretation,  we  must  suppose  that  the  first 
evangelist  has,  in  modifying  Mark's  statement  to  introduce  the  matter 
peculiar  to  him  (vss.  2-4),  dropped  the  reference  to  the  purchase  of 
the  spices  (Mark  16:1)  and  somewhat  negligently  attached  its  note  of 
time  (slightly  modified)  to  the  visit  to  the  tomb.  That  he  did  not 
really  regard  the  resurrection  as  having  taken  place  on  Saturday  is 
evident  from  Matt.  16  :  21 ;  27  163,  64.  A  more  satisfactory  explana- 
tion would  be  to  suppose  that  Matthew  reckoned  the  day  after  our 
usual  fashion  from  morning  to  morning,  in  which  case  his  statement 
would  agree  with  that  of  Luke  and  John,  and  differ  but  slightly  from 
that  of  Mark.  But  we  know  no  instance  of  a  Jewish  writer  counting 
the  day  in  this  way. 

(3)  Vss.  2-4  are  evidently  connected  with  27  :  62-66,  and  like  that 
passage  belong  to  the  sources  peculiar  to  this  evangelist. 


2/8  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

(e)  Vss.  5-7  reproduce  Mark  16:5-7  with  only  slight  variations, 
such  as  the  substitution  of  "angel"  for  "young  man  ....  arrayed 
in  a  white  robe,"  omission  of  a  phrase  or  two,  and  unimportant  trans- 
positions. 

(/)  Vs.  8,  "with  fear  and  great  joy":  the  fear  is  evidently  not  that 
of  terror,  but  of  awe  ;  the  joy  is  over  the  fact  that  Jesus  is  risen.  "  Ran 
to  bring  his  disciples  word":  not  a  contradiction  of  Mark's  vs.  8;  see 
I338. 

(J)  Vs.  9,  "and  behold,  Jesus  met  them  ":  the  first  appearance  of  Jesus 
recorded  in  Matthew.  On  the  relation  of  this  event  to  the  appearance 
to  Mary  see  1[34i-  Vs.  10,  "go  tell  my  brethren":  there  is  no  record 
that  before  his  resurrection  Jesus  had  ever  spoken  of  his  disciples  as  his 
"brethren"  (yet  cf.  John  15:15  and  Matt.  25  :  40).  We  might  almost 
conclude  that  this  was  a  message  to  his  own  brothers  {cf.  i  Cor.  15  : 7), 
but  for  the  evident  connection  of  this  verse  on  the  one  side  with  vs.  7, 
and  on  the  other  with  vs.  16,  and  the  unambiguous  meaning  of  the 
word  in  John  20  :  17  (^341). 

^340.  Notes  on  §143,  Luke  23:56^  —  24:12. — {e)  Chap.  24:3, 
"and  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus":  this,  which  is  implied 
in  all  the  accounts,  is  distinctly  affirmed  here  only.  On  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  empty  tomb  see  Tf  351.  Vs.  4,  "two  men  stood  by  them 
in  dazzling  apparel":  a  variation  of  Mark's  account,  probably  to  be 
referred,  along  with  vs.  5,  to  the  special  source  which  the  rest  of  the 
chapter  clearly  shows  Luke  to  have  had.  Vs.  6,  "  when  he  was  yet  in 
Galilee  ":  Matthew  and  Mark  have  instead,  "  he  goeth  before  you  into 
Galilee,"  this  difference  in  the  accounts  corresponding  with  the  fact 
that  Matthew  (on  Mark  cf.  ^  338)  relates  an  appearance  of  Jesus  in 
Galilee,  while  Luke  tells  only  of  appearances  in  Judea.  This  again 
shows  that  Luke,  while  possessing  Mark  (as  far  as  vs.  8),  had  also 
an  entirely  independent  narrative  of  Jesus'  post-resurrection  appear- 
ances, the  former  telling  the  Galilean  story,  so  to  speak ;  the  latter, 
the  Judean. 

(/)  Vs.  10,  "now  they  were  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Joanna,"  etc.: 
The  attempt  so  to  adjust  and  combine  the  various  accounts  of  what 
these  women  did  on  this  eventful  morning  as  to  give  an  exact  and 
correct  account  of  their  movements  must  probably  always  be  a  failure. 
This  verse  seems,  however,  to  be  a  compendious  statement  of  what 
happened  to  the  women  as  a  whole,  not  distinguishing  Mary  Mag- 
dalene from  the  rest.  It  is,  indeed,  just  such  a  statement  as  one  would 
make  who  had  neither   Matt.    28  :  9,    10,   nor   John's  account   of  the 


APPEARANCES    OF   JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  2/9 

appearance  to  Mary,  but  depended  on  Mark  (15:1-8)  and  another 
account  which,  while  containing  much  additional  matter,  was  equally 
silent  concerning  any  appearance  of  Jesus  to  the  women.  Vs.  12, 
"but  Peter  arose  and  ran  unto  the  tomb":  See  the  fuller  account  (in 
part  in  the  same  words)  in  John  20  :  3-10;  one  of  the  very  few  instances 
of  close  parallelism  between  John  and  Luke,  not  to  be  accounted  for, 
however,  by  dependence  of  Luke  on  the  fourth  gospel ;  nor,  in  this 
case  certainly,  by  dependence  of  the  fourth  gospel  on  Luke.  Both,  in 
some  way  not  exactly  known  to  us,  have  drawn  from  the  same  cycle 
of  stories  dealing  with  the  resurrection. 

^341.  Notes  on  §143,  John  20:1-18. — {d)  Vs.  2,  "she  runneth, 
therefore,  and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter":  This  narrative  concerning 
Mary  Magdalene  is  entirely  independent  of  the  other  accounts.  It 
may  be  either  (i)  that  Mary  came  to  the  tomb  alone  before  the  other 
women;  or  (2)  that,  coming  with  them,  she  turned  back  as  soon  as 
she  saw  from  a  distance  that  the  stone  was  rolled  away,  and  ran  to  the 
lodging-place  of  John  and  Peter,  the  other  women  meantime  going  on 
and  entering  the  tomb;  or  (3)  still,  again,  that  what  is  here  told  of 
Mary  Magdalene  is  simply  a  variant  account  of  what  is  narrated  by 
Mark ;  being  here  told  of  Mary  only,  there  of  the  other  women  as  a 
company. 

{g)  Vs.  5,  "the  linen  cloths":  Cf.  John  19:40.  Vs.  5,  "stooping 
and  looking  in":  in  Luke  24:12  said  of  Peter.  "Yet  entered  he  not 
in":  Notice  the  characteristic  difference  in  the  conduct  of  John  and 
Peter  respectively.  "The  linen  cloths  lying":  The  significance  of 
these  details  (see  also  vs.  7)  is  as  showing  that  the  body  had  not  been 
hastily  removed,  but  that  Jesus  had  himself  deliberately  laid  aside  these 
garments  of  the  grave.  Vs.  8,  "  and  he  saw  and  believed  ":  /.  e.,  that 
Jesus  had  risen  from  the  dead.  Vs.  9,  "  for  as  yet  they  knew  not  the 
scripture":  hence  needed  the  demonstration  of  actually  seeing  the 
empty  tomb.  To  judge  from  the  arguments  used  by  the  early  church, 
these  scriptures  were  Pss.  16  :  8-11;  2:7. 

(/)  Vs.  16,  "Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Mary":  The  use  of  her  name 
shows  her  that  he  with  whom  she  is  speaking  is  someone  who  knows 
her,  and  this  arresting  her  attention  leads  to  her  recognition  of  Jesus. 
Vs.  17,  "touch  me  not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended,"  etc.:  The  purpose 
of  these  words  is  to  disabuse  Mary's  mind  of  the  impression  that  Jesus 
has  returned  to  be  with  his  disciples  as  formerly;  not  so,  says  Jesus, 
but  I  have  yet  to  ascend  to  my  Father.  "Go  unto  my  brethren  ":  See 
Matt.  28  :  10.     We  might  have  expected  that  after  his  resurrection  Jesus 


280  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

would  use  language  tending  to  separate  himself  from  his  disciples; 
on  the  contrary,  he  employs  now  the  terms  of  closest  intimacy  and 
kinship.  Even  more  significant  than  this  word  "  brethren "  is  the 
language  of  the  rest  of  the  verse,  "  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and 
my  God  and  your  God."  Not  simply  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  the 
risen  Christ  counts  his  disciples  as  his  brethren,  and  bids  them  look 
up  to  God  as  their  common  Father. 

^342.  Notes  on  §145,  Luke  24:13-35. —  (/)  Vs.  13,  "Emmaus": 
evidently  not  the  Emmaus  Nicopolis  (now  called  Amwas)  suggested 
by  Eusebius  and  Jerome  and  advocated  in  modern  times  by  Robinson  ; 
for  this  is  twenty  miles  (northwest)  from  Jerusalem  instead  of  seven  or 
eight — sixty  furlongs,  as  Luke  says.  Josephus  {War,  vii,  6,  6)  also 
speaks  of  an  Emmaus  twenty  furlongs  from  Jerusalem,  but  does  not 
indicate  its  direction.  Perhaps  the  most  probable  site  of  the  place 
referred  to  by  Luke  (and  Josephus)  is  Khamasah,  eight  miles  southwest 
from  Jerusalem.  Vs.  18,  "Cleopas"  :  The  name  is  a  short  form  of  the 
Greek  name  Cleopatros ;  the  disciple  referred  to  is  probably  neither 
any  one  of  the  Twelve  nor  to  be  identified  with  Clopas  of  John  19  :  25. 
"Dost  thou  alone  sojourn  in  Jerusalem,"  etc.:  The  implication  is  that,  if 
he  has  not  heard  of  these  things,  he  is  the  only  man,  not  only  among  the 
inhabitants,  but  even  among  the  visitors  to  Jerusalem,  that  is  ignorant 
of  them.  Vs.  19,  "a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  God 
and  all  the  people"  :  Though  the  death  of  Jesus  has  shaken  their  belief 
in  his  messiahship,  the  disciples  have  by  no  means  lost  their  faith  in 
him  as  one  sent  from  God.  The  intellectual  difficulty  springing  from 
the  shattering  of  an  erroneous  dogma  seems  to  them  to  have  wrecked 
their  faith,  but  to  Jesus  himself  their  hearts  still  cling.  How  often  this 
is  true  in  modern  times!  Vs.  21,  "but  we  had  hoped  it  was  he  which 
should  redeem  Israel "  :  We  had  hoped  that  he  was  the  Messiah.  That 
hope  expired  just  in  the  moment  in  which  Jesus  was  doing  the  crown- 
mg  work  of  the  Messiah.  "It  is  now  the  third  day":  referring,  of 
course,  to  his  prediction  that  he  would  rise  on  the  third  day.  Vss.  22, 
23:  Cy.vss.  i-io.  Vs.  24:  C/.VS.12.  Vs.  26,  "behooved  it  not":  rather, 
was  it  not  necessary;  the  same  word  which  Jesus  uses  in  Luke  9:22  and 
1 7  :  25  in  speaking  of  his  death  beforehand,  and  there  translated  "  must." 
Suffering  and  death  were  a  necessity  of  his  mission.  This  was  one  of 
the  hardest  lessons  for  his  disciples  to  learn.  They  counted  success, 
not  defeat  and  death,  the  evidence  of  messiahship.  Only  when  they 
were  convinced  that  he  had  actually  died  and  risen  again  could  they 
believe  that  this  was  part  of  the  career  of  the  Messiah.     Vs.  27,  "he 


APPEARANCES    OF   JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  28 1 

interpreted  to  them  in  all  the  scriptures  the  things  concerning  him- 
self": How  inexpressibly  precious  would  be  a  report  of  this  dis- 
course ;  how  many  perplexities  it  would  solve  1  Yet,  in  fact,  we  have 
evidence  enough  to  show  what  the  general  character  of  this  discourse 
would  have  been.  Its  main  point  would  have  been  (as  vs.  26  suggests) 
that  suffering  and  death  and  victory  through  death  belong  to  the  work 
of  the  Messiah,  the  servant  of  Jehovah.  And  this  he  would  have  proved 
not  so  much  by  pointing  out  specific  predictions  of  himself  as  by 
showing  that  this  principle,  the  righteous  servant  of  Jehovah  must 
suffer  for  his  fellow-men  whom  he  would  save,  is  clearly  revealed 
in  the  Old  Testament  —  so  clearly  that  they  ought  to  have  seen  it  (vs. 
25).  In  the  Mosaic  writings  one  side  of  this  truth  is  set  forth  in  Gen. 
3:14,  15,  and  the  career  of  Moses  himself  may  have  further  served  to 
illustrate  it;  in  the  prophets  it  is  clearly  set  forth  in  such  a  passage  as 
Isa.,  chap.  53.  Vs.  30,  **took  the  bread  and  blessed  it"  :  The  familiar 
act,  which  they  had  probably  often  seen  him  perform,  led  them  to 
recognize  him.  There  can,  of  course,  be  no  reference  to  the  break- 
ing of  bread  in  the  Last  Supper,  since  these  two  were  quite  certainly  not 
present  there. 

{n)  Vs.  34,  "hath  appeared  to  Simon":  See  i  Cor.  15  :  5<7  and  ^345. 
There  is  no  account  of  this  appearance  beyond  these  two  references  to  it. 

^343.  Notes  on  §146,  Luke  24:36-43.  —  (o)  Vs.  36,  ''and  as  they 
spoke  these  things":  C/.VS.35.  "Peace  be  unto  you":  the  usual  Hebrew 
salutation.  See  also  John  20:  19,  21,  26.  Vs.  37,  "  supposed  that  they 
beheld  a  spirit":  /'.  e.,  a  disembodied  spirit ;  as  we  should  say,  a  ghost. 
Vs.  39,  "  see  my  hands  and  my  feet  ....  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and 
bones,  as  ye  behold  me  having":  The  question  of  the  nature  of  Jesus' 
resurrection  body,  which  is  raised  on  the  one  side  by  such  passages  as 
this  and  vs.  43,  and  on  the  other  by  vss.  31,  36,  is  simplv  insoluble. 
The  purpose  of  the  event  is  evidently  to  convince  the  disciples  that  it  is 
a  reality  which  they  behold  (not  a  mere  delusion,  a  ghost ;  which,  what- 
ever their  ideas  about  it,  would  have  no  significance  as  respects  the  con- 
tinued existence  and  activity  of  their  Master),  and  that  that  reality  is 
their  Master  whom  they  had  known  before.  How  this  is  consistent 
with  the  implications  of  vss.  31,  36,  or  what  it  involves  as  respects  the 
post-resurrection  life  of  Jesus  or  of  the  children  of  God  in  general,  it 
is  useless  to  speculate.  The  one  thing  which  the  narrative  is  intended 
to  convey  is  the  reality  of  the  Jesus  who  appeared  to  the  disciples. 

•[  344.  Notes  on  §  146,  John  20  :  19-25. — (^,/)  Vss.  19,  20  run  closely 
parallel   to   Luke  24:36-40.     Vss.   21  ff.  introduce  additional  matter. 


282  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

On  VS.  21  see  John  17:18.  Vs.  22,  "breathed  on  them":  The  breath, 
as  that  the  continuance  of  which  proves  life  and  the  cessation  of 
which  means  death,  was  from  the  earliest  times  associated  with  the 
spirit  (the  word  for  breath  is  also  the  word  for  spirit  in  both  Hebrew 
and  Greek);  here  the  breathing  on  the  disciples  symbolizes  the  impar- 
tation  to  them  of  that  Holy  Spirit  which  was  in  him.  On  vs.  23  see 
Matt.  18:  18;  cf.  If  187,  and  see  also  i  John  5:  16,  17.  Possession  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  would  enable  them  to  distinguish  the  unrepentant 
from  the  really  repentant  sinner. 

^345.  The  Order  of  Events  on  the  Day  of  the  Resurrection.  —  In 
the  consideration  of  this  difficult  problem  certain  facts  must  be  borne 
in  mind.  There  are  evidently  several  narratives,  partly  or  wholly  dis- 
tinct, which  lie  back  of  our  present  gospels.  Thus  there  is  (i)  the 
narrative  of  Mark  (16:1-8)  which  groups  all  the  women  together, 
announces  an  appearance  in  Galilee,  but  is  broken  off  without  narrating 
any  appearance  at  all.  This  narrative  is  taken  up  by  Matthew,  who, 
however,  completes  the  narrative  from  (2)  some  source  of  unknown 
origin,  narrating  first  an  appearance  of  Jesus  to  the  women  and.  then 
an  appearance  to  the  disciples  in  Galilee.  Luke  also  uses  the  Mark 
narrative,  but  also  supplements  it  from  (3)  another  source  of  unknown 
origin,  which  knows  nothing  of  any  appearance  of  Jesus  to  the  women, 
or  of  appearances  in  Galilee,  adding  instead  a  visit  of  Peter  to  the 
tomb,  and  several  appearances  in  Judea.  In  the  fourth  gospel  we 
have  (4)  an  account,  mainly  independent  of  all  the  preceding,  which, 
separating  Mary  Magdalene,  relates  her  experience  in  great  detail,  as 
also  the  visit  of  Peter  and  John  to  the  empty  tomb ;  like  Luke  it  nar- 
rates an  appearance  to  the  disciples  in  Judea  on  the  evening  of  the 
resurrection  day,  but  in  addition  narrates  a  second  appearance  to  the 
eleven  a  week  later  in  Judea,  and  finally,  in  the  appended  chap.  21, 
tells  of  a  Galilean  appearance.  To  all  these  must  be  added  (5)  the  brief 
catalogue  of  Jesus'  appearances  given  by  Paul,  who  apparently  knows 
nothing  of  an  appearance  to  the  women  (in  this  he  is  like  Luke,  unlike 
Matthew  and  John  ;  the  incompleteness  of  Mark  makes  comparison 
with  the  second  gospel  impossible),  but  begins  with  the  appearance  to 
Peter,  and  enumerates  also  an  appearance  to  the  Twelve,  to  five  hun- 
dred brethren  at  once,  and  to  James,  without  indicating  the  place  of 
any  of  these  events.  To  this  we  have  finally  to  add  (6)  the  synopsis  given 
by  the  unknown  author  (Aristion  ?)  of  Mark  16  :  9-20,  which,  though 
containing  some  material  not  found  in  the  other  accounts,  is,  so  far  as 
concerns    the    appearances    of   Jesus,  simply   a  recapitulation   of   the 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  283 

accounts  given  in  Matthew,  Luke,  and  John.  Because  of  this  manifestly 
secondary  character,  it  may  be  left  out  of  account  in  our  present  attempt. 

A  careful  study  of  these  accounts  reveals  some  important  differ- 
ences, (a)  The  question  of  the  time  of  the  visit  of  the  women  to  the 
tomb  is  considered  in  the  notes  on  Matt.  28  :  i  (^  339)-  (^)  Mark  and 
the  two  accounts  which  are  apparently  based  on  him  represent  a  group 
of  women  as  coming  to  the  tomb ;  John  speaks  of  Mary  Magdalene 
only.  In  itself  this  creates  no  special  difficulty:  Mark's  account,  as 
probably  the  oldest,  may  be  accepted  as  correct;  that  of  John  being 
looked  upon  as  simpiy  isolating  the  case  of  Mary.  It  is  when  the  nar- 
ratives come  to  be  compared  in  detail  that  the  difficulty  becomes 
greater.  Mary  leaves  the  tomb  and  runs  to  the  disciples,  knowing  only 
that  the  stone  is  rolled  away;  the  women  referred  to  in  Mark  have  a 
vision,  a  young  man  announcing  that  Jesus  is  risen,  and  only  after  such 
a  vision  run  to  tell  the  disciples.  In  John,  Mary  has  such  a  vision  after 
her  return  to  the  tomb,  (c)  While  Mark's  account  breaks  off  at  this 
point,  the  continuation  in  Matthew  continues  the  disagreement  with 
John.  In  John,  Jesus  appears  to  Mary;  in  Matthew,  to  the  group  of 
women,  and  this  appearance  is  apparently  as  the  women  are  on  the  way 
to  carry  to  the  disciples  the  message  of  the  angel ;  while  in  John,  Mary 
has  already  carried  the  message  of  the  empty  tomb  to  the  disciples. 
Yet  Matthew  and  John  are  alike  in  placing  the  appearance  to  the 
women  (in  John  to  Mary)  close  upon  the  vision  of  angels.  (</)  Mat- 
thew's addition  to  Mark  is  at  this  point  also  different  from  Luke's 
addition  to  Mark.  According  to  the  latter  (Luke  24  :  7-1 1,  confirmed 
by  24  :  22-24),  the  women  brought  to  the  disciples  the  message  of  the 
empty  tomb  and  the  vision  of  the  angels,  without  having  yet  seen  Jesus 
himself,  (e)  Paul's  silence  concerning  an  appearance  of  Jesus  to  the 
women  is  in  agreement  with  Luke,  whose  story  of  the  women  does  not 
include  an  epiphany  of  Jesus  to  them,  and  by  so  much  differs  from 
that  of  John  and  Matthew,  both  of  whom  relate  an  appearance  of  Jesus 
to  them.  (/)  Luke  relates  appearances  in  Judea  only;  Matthew  and 
John  both  Galilean  and  Judean ;  Mark's  narrative  was  apparently 
Galilean. 

These  differences  are  sufficient  to  show  the  diversity  of  sources 
which  lie  behind  our  gospels,  and  to  render  it  probable  that  no  one 
of  these  sources  had  full  command  of  all  the  facts  —  unless,  perhaps,  the 
fourth  gospel  aims  to  correct  and  supplement  the  other  accounts. 
Probably,  also,  they  render  impossible  a  chronological  arrangement  of 
the  facts  which  can  be  confidently  affirmed  to  be  the  true  one.     Yet  a 


284  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

reconstruction  which  can  claim  probability  for  itself  is  not  impossible. 
First,  the  supposition  that  all  the  women  came  to  the  tomb  together, 
but  that  Mary,  turning  back  before  the  others  had  reached  the  tomb, 
became  separated  from  them,  is  not  in  itself  an  improbable  hypothesis, 
and  goes  far  toward  solving  some  elements  of  the  problem.  The  story 
will  then  read  in  brief  thus  :  All  the  women  came  to  the  tomb  together ; 
Mary  seeing  the  stone  rolled  away  waits  to  see  no  more,  but  runs  to  tell 
Peter  and  John ;  the  other  women  continue  on,  enter  the  tomb,  see  the 
vision  of  the  young  man,  and  return  and  bring  the  disciples  word ; 
Peter  and  John  come  to  the  tomb,  not  having  met  the  women,  see  the 
clothes  lying  in  the  tomb,  and  return  home  ;  Mary,  coming  more  slowly, 
reaches  the  garden,  sees  first  the  angel  and  then  Jesus  ;  the  other 
women  also,  perhaps  returning  under  an  impulse  similar  to  that  which 
drew  Mary,  return  and  are  met  by  Jesus ;  while  these  events  are  hap- 
pening the  two  set  out  to  Emmaus,  having  heard  only  the  first  report 
of  the  women  and  that  of  Peter  and  John,  but  no  news  of  the  actual 
epiphany  of  Jesus.  This  reconstruction  takes  each  narrative  at  its  face 
meaning,  except  that  it  assumes  that  the  epiphany  of  Matt.  28  :  9, 
instead  of  occurring,  as  the  narrative  naturally  suggests,  while  the 
women  are  on  the  way  to  take  to  the  disciples  the  message  of  the  angel, 
in  fact  happened  after  that  message  had  been  delivered.  For  "  ran  to 
bring"  in  Matt.  28  :  8  we  in  effect  read  "ran  and  brought."  But  the 
whole  hypothesis  is  somewhat  complicated,  and  for  this  reason  perhaps 
improbable. 

A  second,  though  not  radically  different,  arrangement  may  be 
obtained  by  simply  leaving  out  of  account  those  narratives  which  give 
evidence  of  being  of  a  secondary  character,  and  using  only  the  older 
and  independent  narratives.  Thus  we  should  set  aside,  not  only  Mark 
16  :  9-20,  but  also  Matt.  28  :  9,  10,  the  latter  as  being  probably  simply 
another  account  of  what  is  related  in  John  20:  14  ff.,  and  retain  the 
narratives  of  Paul,  of  Mark,  of  Luke,  and  of  John.  This  yields  the 
following  order  of  events :  Mary  Magdalene  and  at  least  two  other 
women  go  to  the  tomb  on  Sunday  morning  and  find  the  tomb  empty; 
they  report  the  fact  to  the  disciples  ;  Peter  and  John  go  to  investigate, 
discover  that  the  tomb  is  empty,  and  report  to  the  rest  of  the  disciples ; 
Jesus  appears  to  Mary,  who  has  returned  to  the  tomb;  to  Peter ;3  to 

3  The  appearance  to  Peter  might  perhaps  be  placed  before  that  to  Mary  on  the 
basis  of  Paul's  narrative,  which  puts  it  first  in  the  list.  But  it  is  to  be  observed  that 
Paul  does  not  expressly  say  that  the  appearance  to  Peter  vi^as  the  first,  and  that  his 
total  omission  of  the   appearance  to  the  women  suggests  that  he,  like  Luke,  had  no 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  285 

the  two  going  to  Emmaus;  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  to  the 
Twelve. 

^346.  Notes  on  §147,  John  20:26-29. — {q)  Vs.  26,  "after  eight 
days":  /.  e.,  a  week  later  ;  consequently  on  a  Sunday  also.  Between  the 
tarrying  in  Jerusalem  for  a  week,  thus  implied  (see  also  Luke  24  :  49), 
and  the  command  to  depart  to  Galilee,  with  the  implication  that  there 
they  would,  for  the  first  time,  see  him  (Mark  16:7;  Matt.  28:16), 
there  is  a  difference  of  representation  which  can  be  accounted  for  only 
by  recognizing  the  existence  of  two  traditions,  each  to  a  certain  extent 
ignorant  of  the  Content  of  the  other.  See  above,  T[  345.  Vs.  27, 
"reach  hither  thy  finger,"  etc.:  Jesus  always  refused  to  manufacture 
evidence  to  convince  those  who  did  not  wish  to  believe.  But  he  is 
most  considerate  of  the  weakness  and  doubt,  even  the  blameworthy 
doubt,  of  those  who  are  willing  to  believe.  Vs.  28,  "my  Lord  and  my 
God"  :  not  an  identification  of  Jesus  with  God  the  Father,  but  a  glad 
recognition  that  Jesus,  as  the  revelation  of  the  Father,  is  for  him  both 
Lord  and  God.  Vs.  29,  "blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and 
have  believed":  /.  e.,  who  have  accepted  good  testimony.  He  who 
will  learn  by  experience  does  well ;  but  he  does  better  who  is  willing 
also  to  accept  the  testimony  of  good  witnesses.  This  important  truth 
is  repeatedly  emphasized  in  this  gospel. 

^347.  Notes  on  §148,  John  21  : 1-24. — (r)  This  whole  section  con- 
stitutes an  appendix  to  the  gospel  of  John,  which  has  already  been 
brought  to  a  conclusion  in  20  :  30,  31  (§  151).  It  seems  to  be  from 
the  same  hand  as  the  rest  of  the  gospel,  but  has  been  added  after 
the  gospel  was  regarded  as  complete.  The  motive  of  its  addition  is 
probably  to  be  found  in  vs.  23.  John's  survival  to  extreme  old  age 
had  given  rise  to  the  interpretation  of  Jesus'  words  to  him  as  a  pre- 
diction that  he  should  not  die.  When,  therefore,  he  died,  his  death 
seemed  to  disprove  Jesus'  prediction,  and  so  discredit  both  disciple 
and  Master.  Hence  there  arose  the  necessity  to  point  out  exactly 
what  Jesus  had  said  and  what  it  meant. 

Vss.  i-i4call  for  no  special  comment.  Their  general  import  as  evi- 
dence of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  is  the  same  as  that  of  Luke  24  :  36-43. 

In  vss.  15-17  Jesus  recommissions,  as  it  were,  the  disciple  who  had 
denied  him,  emphasizing  his  duty  to  care  for  his  brethren  [cf.   Luke 

knowledge  of  this  cycle  of  tradition ;  it  may  then  as  easily  belong  at  the  beginning 
of  his  list  as  in  the  midst  of  it.  For  this  reason,  and  because  this  )aelds  a  more 
probable  order  of  events,  we  place  the  appearance  to  Mary  first.  With  this  agrees 
also  Mark  16  19,  which  in  this  respect  reflects  an  ancient  tradition  at  least. 


286  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

22:32).  Much  —  probably  too  much  —  has  been  made  of  the  differ- 
ence between  the  two  words  for  "love"  in  this  passage  (see  margin  of 
R.  v.).  The  variation  is  probably,  like  the  change  "  lamb  "  to  "  sheep  " 
and  "feed"  to  "tend,"  merely  rhetorical.  Vs.  19,  "Signifying  by  what 
manner  of  death  he  should  glorify  God":  the  language  of  Jesus 
doubtless  referred  primarily  to  the  feebleness  of  old  age,  and  the 
necessity  of  depending  upon  others,  thus  intimating  how  long-con- 
tinued and  arduous  would  be  the  task  and  service  which  he  was 
giving  him.  But  when,  as  tradition  says  was  the  case,  Peter  had  died 
by  crucifixion,  then  Christians  saw  in  the  words  a  reference  to  this  fact 
also.     On  vs.  23  see  above. 

Vs.  24,  "this  is  the  disciple  which  beareth  witness  of  these  things, 
and  wrote  these  things :  and  we  know  that  his  witness  is  true":  This 
verse  is  evidently  shown  by  the  "we"  of  the  last  clause  to  be,  not  from 
the  hand  of  the  disciple  referred  to  in  the  first  clause,  but  from  persons 
who  knew  him  and  the  trustworthiness  of  his  testimony.  The  disciple 
is  evidently  the  one  mentioned  in  vss.  20,  23,  and,  as  vs.  20  clearly 
shows,  one  of  the  Twelve,  and  of  the  inner  circle  of  the  Twelve,  and 
can  have  been  no  other  than  John.  The  verse  is  thus  a  very  early 
testimony  to  John  as  the  source  of  the  narrative,  and  the  word  "wrote" 
naturally  implies  that  he  left  his  material,  in  part  at  least,  in  writing. 

Tf  348.  Notes  on  §  149,  Matt.  28  :  16-20. — (s)  Vs.  16,  "  the  eleven  dis- 
ciples went  into  Galilee  "  :  in  pursuance  of  the  command  given  them 
(Mark  16:7;  Matt.  28  : 7,  10);  this  gospel  passing  over  all  the  appear- 
ances in  Judea.  "  Unto  the  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed 
them  "  :  This  appointment  of  a  place  of  meeting  is  not  elsewhere  men- 
tioned, nor  can  the  location  be  determined.  Vs.  18,  "all  authority 
hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth"  :  c/.  Mark  2  :  10; 
John  5  :  26,  27  ;  17  :  2  ;  and  especially  John  3  :  19-21.  As  the  revela- 
tion of  God  he  is  for  men  the  representative  of  the  Father.  By  their 
attitude  toward  him  men  determine  their  destiny  for  this  world  and 
that  which  is  to  come,  and  to  him  all  workers  in  the  kingdom  look  for 
leadership.  Vs.  19,  "go  ye  therefore  and  make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations  "  :  These  words  express  the  missionary  spirit  which  is  itself 
the  spirit  of  Christ.  Possession  of  healthful,  saving  truth  carries  with 
it  the  obligation  to  give  this  truth  to  those  who  do  not  possess  it. 
The  followers  of  Jesus  having  found  in  him  a  Savior,  and  in  his  gospel 
a  message  of  truth  and  salvation,  can  but  give  that  message  to  all,  even 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth.     The  limitations  of  former  times,  even  that 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  287 

imposed  by  Jesus  himself  (Matt.  10  :  5,  6),  could  not  be  other  than  tem- 
porary. Though  necessitated  by  the  hardness  of  men's  hearts,  or  the 
expediency  of  moving  step  by  step,  beginning  with  the  Jews,  and  pass 
ing  from  them  to  the  gentiles,  they  could  not  be  permanent,  and  are 
now  set  aside  in  this  permanent  and  world-wide  commission.  "  Baptiz- 
ing them  " :  The  practice  of  baptism  as  a  symbol  of  repentance,  which 
was  introduced  by  John  the  Baptist,  but  which  Jesus  had  not  appar- 
ently taken  up  as  a  part  of  his  own  personal  mission  (cf.  \  81),  is  now 
to  be  resumed  as  an  outward  sign  of  discipleship  to  Jesus,  and  as  such 
we  find  it  constantty  practiced  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  down  to  the 
present  day.  "  Into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost "  :  /.  ^.,  with  reference  to  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  ceremonial  act  having  its  significance  as  a  confession 
and  acceptance  of  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  From  a  very  early  day  it 
became  customary  to  employ  this  phrase,  as  we  do  today,  as  a  solemn 
formula  accompanying  baptism  (so  in  the  so-called  "  Teaching  of  the 
Twelve,"  a  church-manual  written  not  far  from  100  A.  D.),  but  appar- 
ently it  was  not  generally  so  employed  by  the  apostles  (see  Acts  2  :  38  ; 
8:16;  19:5;  Rom.  6  :  3).  The  meaning  of  the  act  in  the  mind  of 
the  person  who  receives  baptism,  rather  than  the  formula  used  by  the 
administrator,  gives  the  act  its  significance.  Vs.  20,  "teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you"  :  The  work 
of  the  apostles  —  now  such  in  a  new  sense  —  is  to  teach  the  kingdom 
and  dominion  of  Christ.  "  And  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  consummation  of  the  age  "  :  Jesus  is  not  to  withdraw  from  his 
kingdom,  or  from  active  partnership  with  his  disciples  in  the  work 
which  he  has  left  them  to  do.  As  before  his  death  he  announced 
his  return  {cf.  ^312),  in  the  confidence  that  his  work  on  earth  was  not 
yet  done,  so  now  he  assures  his  disciples  of  his  continual  presence  with 
them  in  their  work.  "  The  end  of  the  world  "  :  more  exactly  "  the 
consummation  of  the  age,"  i.  e.,  the  end  of  that  development  through 
which  the  kingdom  passes  from  feebleness  to  supremacy.  As  this  "  con- 
summation "  formed  for  Jesus'  disciples  the  horizon  of  thought,  the 
closing  phrase  strengthens  the  previous  expression  "all  the  days". 
Though  what  they  looked  for  as  the  "consummation  of  the  age"  came 
in  a  sense  long  ago,  even  as  they  to  whom  the  promise  was  given 
are  long  ago  dead,  yet  the  promise  of  Jesus'  presence  with  his  dis- 
ciples and  missionaries  is  still  being  fulfilled,  as  they  carry  on  that 
leavening  of  society  which  will  yet  transform  it  into  the  kingdom 
of  God. 


288 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


^  349.  Notes  on  §  150,  Luke  24: 44-53. — (v)  Vss.  44-49  are  peculiarly 
difficult  to  locate  chronologically.  Luke  (knowing  nothing  of  appear- 
ances of  Jesus  in  Galilee)  connects  them  immediately  with  the  appear- 
ance on  the  evening  of  the  resurrection  day.  Vs.  49  seems,  however, 
to  leave  no  room  after  this  event  for  the  appearances  in  Galilee 
related  by  Matthew  and  John,  and  implied  in  Mark  also,  and  so  for- 
bids our  placing  it  before  §§  148,  149.     The  resemblance  of  vss.  46, 


ANCIENT  CHURCH  OF  THE  ASCENSION 

47  to  Matt.  28:  19,  20,  with  which  they  are  substantially  identical  in 
thought,  suggests  that  this  paragraph  is  a  variant  account  of  that 
event;  while  vs.  49  also  reminds  us  of  John  20:  22.  Probably  these 
verses  (44-49)  are  best  regarded  as  an  independent  tradition  of  what 
is  in  the  other  gospels  differently  narrated,  rather  than  as  referring  to 
a  distinct  event.  Vs.  47,  "unto  all  the  nations":  cf.  Matt.  28:19. 
''Beginning  from  Jerusalem":  This  phrase,  peculiar  to  Luke,  by  no 
means  implies  a  restriction  of  the  efforts  of  the  apostles  to  their  own 
people  or  capital  city  (a  conception  distinctly  excluded  by  the  preced- 
ing phrase),  but  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  making  the  city  where 
Jesus  had  been  put  to  death  and  where  he  had  risen  from  the  dead  the 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  289 

starting-point  for  their  world-wide  work.     Strategically  such  a  course 
was  for   many  reasons    the    only  possible   one.      On  vs.  49  cf.  Acts 

I  :  4,  5- 

{w)  On  vss.  50-53  see  also  Acts  i  :  6-14. 

^350.  Notes  on  §151,  John  20:30,  31;  21:25. — These  verses  con- 
stitute no  part  of  the  gospel  narrative.  The  gospel  was  originally 
intended  to  end  with  chap.  20,  and  vss.  30,  31  are  the  writer's  state- 
ment of  his  purpose  in  writing.  "Many  other  signs"  probably 
refers  especially  to  the  signs  of  his  resurrection  (cf.  Acts  i  :  3), 
meaning  many  besides  these  that  are  recorded  in  chap.  20;  yet 
"  these "  things  that  "  are  written "  probably  include,  by  implica- 
tion at  least,  the  whole  book.  The  purpose  of  the  record  rs  first 
intellectual,  to  maintain  the  conviction  {cf,  If  13)  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  but  this  itself  has  for  its  purpose  the  main- 
tenance, on  the  basis  of  such  conviction,  of  life  in  his  name,  of 
life-fellowship  with  God  (^/.  ^314)  through  Jesus  Christ  accepted  as 
his  Son. 

Chap.  21  is  itself  an  appendix  to  the  gospel,  and  vs.  25  is  prob- 
ably not  from  the  hand  of  John  himself,  but  an  addition  by  the 
same  persons  who  in  21:24  certify  who  wrote  the  book.  The  first 
clause  repeats  in  effect  20:30;  the  second  clause  is  an  oriental 
hyperbole  emphasizing  the  incompleteness  of  the  written  records  of 
the  life  of  Jesus. 

^351.  The  Fact  of  the  Resurrection  and  its  Significance. — To  con- 
centrate attention  exclusively  on  the  gospel  records  of  Jesus'  appear- 
ances after  his  crucifixion  and  burial,  especially  to  busy  one's  self  too 
assiduously  with  the  problem,  necessary  in  itself,  of  the  relation  of  these 
narratives  and  the  recorded  events  to  one  another,  is  to  miss  the  real 
force  of  the  evidence  for  his  resurrection.  To  appreciate  this,  several 
other  facts  need  to  be  borne  in  mind. 

It  is  clearly  testified  by  the  gospels  that  Jesus  expected  and  pre- 
dicted that  he  would  rise  from  the  dead.  The  correctness  of  the  rec- 
ord in  this  respect  is,  moreover,  confirmed  by  the  testimony  as  to  his 
teaching  concerning  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  in  general,  and 
his  whole  doctrine  of  the  fatherhood  of  God.  Believing  (see  especially 
Mark  12  :  24—27)  that  no  one  who  is  in  loving  fellowship  with  God  can 
perish,  he  could  not  but  apply  this  reasoning  to  himself,  and  could  not 
but  believe  therefore  that,  though  he  was  to  die  on  the  cross,  yet  such 
death  could  not  interrupt  his  life  with  and  unto  God.  Nor  is  there 
any  reason  to  doubt  the  record  of  the  evangelists  that  he  predicted  that 


290  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

he  would  rise  after  three  days,  though  this  phrase  perhaps  meant  to 
him  simply  in  a  short  time  (as  in  Hos.  6  :  2).  Conscious  of  a  relation- 
ship to  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  which  was  unique  in  its  impor- 
tance, he  could  not  doubt  that  his  separation  from  that  work  by  death 
would  be  very  brief.  Such  then  being  his  own  expectation  and  faith, 
we  can  but  be  assured  that  he  did  in  fact  live  after  death,  and  this  on  just 
the  ground  on  which  he  himself  argued  it  for  others ;  it  is  impossible 
that  the  Son  of  God,  the  object,  the  preeminent  object,  of  God's 
approving  love,  should  perish. 

But  resurrection  undoubtedly  involves  more  than  continuance  of 
existence.  Could  we  conceive  that  Jesus  at  his  death,  though  continu- 
ing to  live  and  even  to  enjoy  "the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father 
before  the  world  was,"  yet  ceased  to  have  any  relation  to,  or  part  in,  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth  —  that  could  not  be  to  us  his  resurrection. 
Nor  is  this  what  Jesus  meant  to  predict.  He  believed  that  he  was  to 
continue,  not  only  in  the  enjoyment  of  God's  favor,  but  in  fellow- 
ship with  his  disciples  and  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom.  And  this  it 
is  that  is  really  important  for  Christian  faith.  In  what  sense  the  risen 
Jesus  had  a  body,  and  what  was  the  nature  of  that  body,  how  he  could 
eat,  and  show  them  his  hands  and  his  feet,  and  yet  appear  and  disap- 
pear at  will  —  these  are  matters  of  little  or  no  importance  compared 
with  the  question  whether  Jesus  lived  after  death,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
God's  favor,  in  fellowship  with  his  disciples,  active  in  the  work  of  his 
kingdom.  That  he  did  thus  live  we  have  many  and  strong  reasons  to 
believe.  Our  gospels,  despite  all  their  differences  in  detail  —  differ- 
ences for  which  we  cannot  account  and  which  prevent  the  construction 
of  a  continuous  narrative  of  what  happened — yet  bear  concurrent 
testimony  to  the  confident  belief  of  the  Twelve  that  Jesus  manifested 
himself  to  his  disciples  after  his  death  and  talked  with  them.  The 
testimony  of  the  apostle  Paul,  moreover,  is  of  peculiar  significance. 
Writing  as  he  did  even  before  the  earliest  of  our  gospels  was  written, 
while  nearly  all  the  Twelve  were  still  alive,  himself  a  contemporary 
with  Jesus,  who  knew  both  all  that  the  Jews  alleged  against  the  fact  of 
the  resurrection  and  the  testimony  of  the  disciples  to  the  fact,  he 
brings  us,  at  the  very  least,  conclusive  evidence  that  Peter  and  James 
and  a  multitude  more  confidently  believed  that  singly  and  in  large 
companies  they  had  seen  Jesus  and  had  heard  him  speak,  and  himself 
testifies  in  effect  that,  despite  his  former  rejection  of  Jesus  and  his 
knowledge  of  all  the  Jewish  objections  to  Jesus'  resurrection,  he 
regarded  this  testimony  as  valid  and  conclusive.     That  he  accepted 


APPEARANCES    OF    JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  29 1 

all  this  testimony  only  after  he  had  himself  had  a  vision  of  Jesus  does 
not  affect  in  the  least  his  evidence  as  to  the  belief  of  the  early  church, 
and,  while  it  modifies,  it  does  not  destroy  the  significance  of  his  accept- 
ance of  their  testimony  as  true. 

To  the  belief  of  the  apostles  and  others  that  they  saw  Jesus  and 
heard  him  speak  is  to  be  added  the  testimony  of  the  gospels  that  the 
tomb  was  empty  the  third  morning  after  the  resurrection.  In  itself 
this  might  result  from  a  variety  of  causes,  and,  with  the  assurance  that 
Jesus  lives  with  God  and  on  earth,  it  matters  little  to  us  what  became 
of  his  body.  Yetnhe  attitude  of  Paul  in  the  matter  seems,  in  fact,  to 
exclude  all  explanation  save  that  Jesus  actually  rose  from  the  dead, 
and  so  to  bring  to  us  such  confirmation  of  the  fact  of  the  resurrection 
as  was  given  to  the  Twelve  by  the  sound  of  his  voice  and  the  touch  of 
his  hands.  That  the  tomb  was  actually  empty  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
Had  it  not  been  so,  Paul  must  have  known  it,  and  a  belief  in  the  res- 
urrection in  the  sense  in  which  he  understood  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  him.  Indeed,  it  would  have  been  so  to  the  Twelve  also  if 
the  Jews  had  been  able  to  point  to  the  body  still  in  the  tomb.  In  like 
manner  is  the  hypothesis  that  the  body  was  stolen  rendered  highly 
improbable.  Had  the  Jews  stolen  it,  Saul  would  in  all  probability  have 
known  it  through  his  association  before  his  conversion  with  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem.  Had  the  disciples  stolen  it,  it  is  almost 
impossible  that  they  should  have  accepted  the  fact  of  the  resurrection, 
knowing  that  they  were  themselves  responsible  for  the  empty  tomb. 
While  we  are  undoubtedly  dealing  here  with  a  most  difficult  element 
of  the  problem,  yet  the  testimony  of  the  gospels  to  the  empty  tomb, 
related  as  it  is  to  Paul's  conviction,  constitutes  a  confirmation  of  the 
other  evidence. 

And  finally  it  is  to  be  said  that  the  history  of  the  apostolic  church 
and  of  the  Christian  centuries  constitutes  a  mighty  confirmation  of 
the  essential  fact  of  the  resurrection.  It  is  beyond  all  controversy 
that  the  early  church  built  its  apologetic,  and  in  a  sense  its  faith, 
on  the  evidence  of,  and  testimony  to,  the  resurrection.  The  Christian 
church  believes  today,  as  it  has  always  believed,  in  the  continued 
presence  and  activity  of  Jesus  in  his  church.  This  does  not  estab- 
lish the  accuracy  of  the  early  record  in  its  details,  nor  does  it  vouch 
for  all  the  theories  of  the  resurrection  that  have  been  held  in  the 
church.  But  historic  Christianity  itself  is  an  effect  which  demands 
a  cause,  and  to  no  cause  can  it  be  so  rationally  referred  as  to  that 
which  the  early  church  accepted  as  an  unquestionable  fact,   that  the 


292  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

Christ  who  lived  in  Galilee  and  died  01;  Calvary  still  lives,  as  he 
promised  that  he  would,  abiding  with,  and  working  in,  his  kingdom 
on  earth. 

"And  these  things  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye  may  have  life  in  his 
name." 


^352.  Questions  and  Suggestions  for  Study. — ( i )  *  How  many 
of  the  gospels  contain  records  of  the  appearances  of  Jesus  after 
his  resurrection?  (2)  What  are  the  facts  in  respect  to  the 
gospel  of  Mark  in  this  matter  ?  (3)  *  What  important  testimony 
to  the  resurrection  is  found  in  the  New  Testament  outside 
the  gospels?  (4)  Which  of  the  gospels  narrate  (or  imply) 
appearances  in  Galilee?  (5)  Which  narrate  appearances  in 
Judea  ? 

(6)*  Give  an  account  of  the  events  of  the  resurrection  morn- 
ing as  told  in  Mark.  (?)*  As  told  in  John.  (8)  Suggest  two 
possible  constructions  of  the  narrative  on  the  basis  of  the  testi- 
mony as  a  whole. 

(9)  What  two  gospels  (aside  from  the  addition  to  Mark) 
narrate  events  of  the  latter  part  of  the  resurrection  day  ?  (10)* 
Give  an  account  of  these  events,  (i  i)*  What  was  the  subject 
of  Jesus'  conversation  with  the  two  on  the  way  to  Emmaus  ? 
(12)*  What  truth  which  they  had  overlooked  did  he  especially 
emphasize  ? 

(13)*  Give  an  account  of  the  appearance  of  Jesus  on  the 
Sunday  after  the  resurrection. 

(14)  Tell  separately  the  story  of  the  experience  of  Mary  in 
respect  to  the  resurrection.      (15)    Of  Thomas. 

(16)*  What  still  later  appearances  of  Jesus  are  recorded  in 
the  New  Testament  ?  (17)  Who  are  the  witnesses  for  each  of 
these?  (18)*  What  is  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  great  commission 
to  his  disciples?  (19)  What  is  the  reason  of  the  difference 
between  this  command  and  the  earlier  one  to  preach  to  Jews 
only?  (20)*  Does  our  duty  in  reference  to  the  evangelization 
of  the  world  rest  solely  upon  this  command,  or  would  it  be  the 
same  if  we  had  no  record  of  it  ?      (21)   What  is  the  peculiarity 


APPEARANCES    OF   JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  293 

of  Luke's  version  of  the  great  commission?  (22)*  What  is 
the  meaning  and  reason  of  the  phrase  "beginning  from  Jeru- 
salem" ? 

(23)  What  is  the  significance  of  Jesus'  prediction  of  his 
resurrection  in  relation  to  the  facts?  (24)*  What  in  respect  to 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  is  of  the  highest  significance  for  Chris- 
tian faith  ?  (25)*  What  relation  did  the  resurrection  have  to  the 
founding  of  the  Christian  church  and  the  faith  of  its  early  mem- 
bers ?  (26)*  What  relation  has  the  fact  of  historic  Christianity 
— the  rise  and  development  of  Christianity  —  to  the  fact  of  the 
resurrrection  ? 

(27)  What  does  the  fourth  gospel  state  as  its  purpose? 
Explain  the  meaning  of  John  20:30,  31.  (28)  How  is  that 
purpose  related  to  the  purpose  of  the  gospels  as  a  whole ;  of 
the  whole  New  Testament ;  of  all  study  of  the  New  Testament  ? 

^353.  Constructive  "Work. —  Write  chap,  xxxv  of  your  "Life  of 
Christ"  upon  some  such  plan  as  this: 

1.  The  witnesses  for  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. 

a)  The  gospels  and  other  New  Testament  books  which  record 

his  appearances. 
d)  The  several  documents  on  which  the  gospel  accounts  are 

based. 

c)  The  different  point  of  view  of  these  witnesses. 

d)  The  persons  who  are  narrated  in  the  New  Testament  to  have 
seen  Jesus  after  his  death. 

2.  The  events  of  the  resurrection  morning. 

3.  The  subsequent  appearances  in  Judea. 

4.  The  Galilean  appearances. 

5.  The  final  appearance  to  the  Twelve. 

6.  The  appearance  to  Paul. 

(On  2-6  ^337  will  suggest  a  further  analysis.) 

7.  The  fact  and  the  significance  of  Jesus'  resurrection. 
^354.  Supplementary  Topics  for  Study. 

1.  The  basis  of  Jesus'  confidence  that  he  would  rise  from  the  dead. 

2.  The  effect  of  the  resurrection  on  the  Twelve  in  respect  to  their 
conception  of  the  Messiah's  work.  Compare  the  evidence  of  the  gos- 
pels as  to  their  thought  before  the  resurrection  with  that  of  the  Acts 
and  the  epistles  as  to  their  later  thought. 


294  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

3.  The  significance  of  Paul's  testimony  to  the  resurrection. 

4.  The  significance  of  the  empty  tomb. 

5.  The  resurrection  of  Jesus  as  related  to  the  Christian  hope  of 
future  blessedness. 

6.  The  significance  of  Jesus'  resurrection  for  Christian  faith  of 
today. 

1[355-*  Review  Questions. — (i)  Name  the  nine  parts  of  Jesus' 
life.  (2)  What  two  gospels  contain  a  story  of  the  infancy? 
(3)  What  gospel  is  the  only  authority  for  Jesus'  early  work  in 
Judea?  (4)  What  gospels  tell  the  story  of  the  Galilean  min- 
istry ?  (5)  Which  gospel  gives  the  fullest  account  of  the  Perean 
ministry?  (6)  What  gospel  narrates  most  fully  the  work  of  Jesus 
in  Jerusalem  in  all  periods  of  his  ministry? 

(7)  What  did  Jesus  seek  to  attain  in  the  Galilean  ministry? 
(8)  What  were  the  methods  by  which  he  sought  to  accomplish 
this  end?  (9)  How  far  did  he  succeed  in  these  efforts?  Describe 
the  situation  at  the  close  of  the  Galilean  ministry.  (10) 
Describe  the  work  of  Jesus  in  the  Perean  ministry.  (11) 
Characterize  the  work  of  Jesus  in  the  Passion  Week  in  relation 
to  the  Jewish  leaders.  (12)  Describe  his  work  in  this  period  in 
relation  to  his  disciples.  (13)  What  were  the  causes  which 
brought  about  the  death  of  Jesus?  (14)  Why  was  he  put  to 
death  at  the  hands  of  the  Romans  ? 

(15)  When  did  Jesus  first  distinctly  recognize  himself  to  be 
the  Messiah?  (16)  When  did  he  first  distinctly  announce  his 
messiahship  to  others?  (17)  When  did  he  begin  to  foresee 
his  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Jews?  (18)  When  did  he  first 
predict  his  resurrection?  (19)  What  was  it  in  the  life  and 
teachmg  of  Jesus  that  aroused  antagonism  to  him?  (20) 
Could  Jesus  have  escaped  rejection  and  death?  (21)  Why 
did  he  not  do  so  ? 

(22)  Name  several  of  the  great  discourses  of  Jesus  and  tell 
the  theme  of  each.  (23)  What  did  Jesus  mean  by  the  kingdom 
of  God?  (24)  By  what  means  did  he  seek  to  found  and 
develop  it?  (25)  What  means  did  he  take  to  secure  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  work  which  he  began  ? 

(26)   What  is  the  central  thought  of  the  moral  teaching  of 


APPEARANCES    OF   JESUS    AFTER    HIS    RESURRECTION  295 

Jesus  ?  (27)  What  is  the  central  idea  of  his  religious  teaching? 
(28)  What  conception  of  the  mission  and  character  of  Jesus  did 
he  himself  hold?  (29)  What  is  the  relation  of  Jesus'  character 
to  his  teaching?  (30)  What  to  you  is  the  central  significance 
of  Jesus'  life?  (31)  Of  his  death?  (32)  Of  his  resurrec- 
tion ? 

(33)  Why  is  the  teaching  of  Jesus  authoritative  for  us? 
(34)  What  place  in  the  history  of  the  world  is  to  be  assigned  to 
Jesus?      (35)   What  place  in  the  life  of  the  world  today? 


INDEX  OF  NAMES  AND  SUBJECTS. 

(Italic  figures  refer  to  pages  on  which  references  to  the  literature  of  the  subject  are  given.) 


Annas,  53,  260. 
Archelaus,  14. 

Baptism  :  John  the  Baptist's,  52  ;  of  Jesus, 

56;  by  the  disciples  of  5esus,  72,  287. 
Bethany,  beyond  Jordan,  56,  62. 
Bethany,  in  Judea,  201,  216. 
Bethesda,  Pool  of,  91. 
Bethlehem,  32. 
Bethphage,  219. 
Bethsaida,  137. 

CvEsarea  Philippi,  152, 162. 
Caiaphas  :  his  high-priesthood,  53 ;  his 
prophecy,  203  ;  trial  of  Jesus  before,  259. 
Calvary,  270,  27/,  276. 
Cana  of  Galilee,  65. 
Capernaum,  83. 
Christ,   second    coming   of,    158;    205, 

237-41. 

Christ,  see  Messiah. 

Chronology  :  of  John  the  Baptist's  min- 
istry, 53;  of  Jesus'  life,  69,  72,  223,  248. 

Church  and  kingdom,  155. 

CoRBAN,  142. 

Demoniacal  possession,  84,  126. 
Divorce  :   teaching   of  Jesus  compared 
with  teaching  of  the  Pharisees,  208. 

Education  among  the  Jews,  45. 
Epistles  as  sources  for  the  life  of 

Jesus,  25,  27. 
Essenes,  38. 

Family  life  among  the  Jews,  35. 

Fasting,  89. 

Feasts  of  the  Jews,  69,  J2 ;  of  Dedica- 
tion, 186;  of  the  Passover,  247;  of 
Tabernacles,  170,  775. 

Gadara,  125,  126,  i2g. 

Galilean  MINISTRY:  characteristics  and 


results    of  the  first  period,  94 ;  of  the 
second  period,  143  ;  of  the  third  period, 

173. 
Galilee,  80,  86;  S^-'.  of,  i2g. 
Gennesaret,  land  of,  138. 
Gerasa,  125,  126. 
Gethsemane,  259,  271. 
Gospels:    purpose  and  peculiarities   of 

each,  20-24,  27.     See  Matthew,  Mark, 

Luke,  John 

Herod  Antipas,  14,  53,  133,  135,  193. 

265. 
Herod  Philip,  14,53. 
Herod  the  Great,  13. 
Herodians,  227. 
Herodias,  133. 
Houses  in  Palestine,  87. 

Jacob's  Well,  74. 

Jerusalem  :  Jesus'  prediction  concerning, 
237-41  ;  prediction  fulfilled,  243. 

Jesus  :  sources  of  his  life,  24,  27 ;  family 
of,  130;  attitude  toward  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  Pharisaism,  101-4;  atti- 
tude toward  the  religious  leaders,  229 ; 
conception  of  messiahship,  60,  229 ; 
conception  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
121;  method  of  training  the  Twelve, 
133  ;  use  of  parables,  122  ;  teaching  as 
to  wealth,  198,  20/,' ethical  teachings, 
124;  social  teachings,  208,  227. 

Jews:  children,  care  of,  36;  dress,  131  ; 
education,  36,  45 ;  expectation  of  the 
Messiah,  54,  j6/  family  life,  35;  feists, 
69  ;  houses,  87,  113  ;  ideas  of  life  after 
death,  228,  232;  laws  as  to  inherit- 
ance, 201 ;  relation  to  Rome,  227  *. 
weddings,  66. 

John  the  Baptist,  50,  52,56,  no  ;  arrest 
of,  80;  death  of,  133. 


297 


298 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


John,  gospel  of  :  purpose  and  plan,  23, 
27 ;  order  of  sections  in,  172,  182,  184, 
250;  appendix  to,  285,  286,  289. 

Judaism  :  its  downfall  prophesied,  237- 
41. 

JUDEA :  historical  sketch  of,  9-15,  53; 
religious  condition  of,  in  the  time  of 
Christ,  37. 

JUDEAN  MINISTRY  OF  Jesus  :  character- 
istics and  results,  76. 

Kingdom  of  God:  99-108;  Jesus'  con- 
ception of,  121;  parables  of,  119-21; 
permanence  of  the  law  of,  loi  ;  right' 
eousness  in,  101-4 ;  coming  of,  205> 
206;  compared  with  the  church,  155. 

Legalism,  38. 

Life,  eternal,  234  ;  after  death,  228. 
Luke,   gospel  of:    chronology  of,    53; 
purpose  and  character  of,  19,  22,  27. 

Maccabees,  10. 

Mark,  gospel  of:  20,  27 ;  order  of  events 

in,  94  ;   appendix  to,  275,  277. 
Marriage  and  betrothal,  35. 
Matthew,  gospel  of,  21,  27,133. 
Messiahship,   Jesus'  conception  of,  60, 

229. 
Messianic  expectation,  39,  41 ;  of  John 

the  Baptist,  52,  no  ;  of  the  people,  54, 
5^    J  56,  220,   222,  229 ;    of  the  Samaritans. 

^  75. 

Messianic  psalm,  33. 

Nazareth,  29,  82. 

Old  Testament,  Jesus'  attitude  toward, 
101-4. 

Palestine  :  history  of,  9-15,  53;  houses 
in,  87  ;  religious  condition  of,  37. 

Parables,  124;  interpretation  of,  122; 
of  the  kingdom,  119-21  ;  why  used  by 
Jesus,  122. 

Passover  :  method  of  observing,  247, 
^j6,'  Jesus'  last,  248. 

Perean  ministry,  records  of,  176. 

Pharisees  :  rise  of,  12,  13;  scribes  of,  88  ; 
attitude  of  Jesus  to,  229 ;  attitude  to- 
ward Jesus,  70,  94,  202;  disciples  of,  89; 
laws  of,    governing  the    sabbath,   96/ 


legalism   of,  38 ;    teaching"  of,   89,   90, 

93,  141;   teaching   as  to  divorce,  208; 

ethical  teaching  of  Jesus  compared  with 

teaching  of,  124. 
Philip,  son  of  Herod,  14,  53. 
Pontius  Pilate,  53,  262,  263. 
Pools:  of  Bethseda,  91  ;  of  Siloam,  183. 
Psalms  of  Solomon,  33. 
Publicans,  88. 

Quotations  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, 44. 

Religious  condition  of  Palestine,  37. 

Resurrection  :  testimonies  to,  273  ;  or- 
der of  events  on  the  day  of,  282  ;  fact 
of,  and  significance  of,  289. 

Ritual  among  the  Jews,  37. 

Rome,  relation  of  the  Jewish  state  to, 
227. 

Sabbath,  90,  92,  93;  pharisaic  laws  gov- 
erning, gb. 

Sadducees,  12,  13,  202,  228. 

Samaritans,  78;  messianic  hope  of,  75. 

Sanhedrin,  70,  202,  260. 

Scribes  :  enmity  to  Jesus,  94;  teaching  of, 
101-4. 

Sea  of  Galilee,  i2(). 

Sermon  on  the  Mount  :  analysis  of, 
99,  100;  discussion  of,  100-106. 

Siloam,  Pool  of,  183. 

Son  of  David,  128. 

Son  of  God,  29. 

Son  of  man,  63;  coming  of,  205,  240. 

Sources  of  the  life  of  Jesus,  24,  27. 

Supper,  the  Last :  time  of,  248,249  ;  order 
of,  244,  247,  236. 

Synagogue  and  synagogue  service, 
82,  86. 

Temple,   28,  37,  68,   237;    cleansing  of, 

67-9,  72,  223;  plan  of,  68. 
Tiberias  C^sar,  fifteenth  year  of,  53. 
Training  of  the  Twelve,  133. 
Transfiguration,  160. 
Trial  of  Jesus,  272;  before  the  Jewish 

authorities,  259;  before  Pilate,  262. 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  147,  .75/. 

Weddings  among  the  Jews,  66,  226. 


INDEX  OF  PASSAGES. 


SHOWING    WHERE    EACH    SECTION    OF    THE    FOUR    GOSPELS    IS    CITED 

OR    DISCUSSED. 

(Page  figures  in  light-faced  type  show  where  the  oassage  is  cited  at  the  head  of  a  chapter.     Bold- 
faced figures  show  where  the  passage  is  discussed.) 


PAGE 

Matt.     I  :  I-17          28 

18-25        28 

Matt.     2:i-i2          42 

13-23        42 

Matt.     3:1-12          49 

13-17        56 

Matt.    4:1-11          56 

12              79 

12              72 

13-16        79 

17              79 

18-22       79 

23             79 

23-25       97 

Matt.     5 :  1-48          97 

Matt.    6 :  1-34          97 

Matt.     7:  1-29          97 

Matt.    8:1                 97 

2-4            79 

S-13          109 

14-17        79 

[18]          125, 

19-22 ..  176 

23-27        125 

28-34        125 

Matt.     9:1                87, 

2-8            87 

9-13 87 

14-17        87 

18-26        125 

27-34       125 

35             129- 

36-38       129 

Matt.  10  :  1-42          129 

[2-4]        97 


Matt.  II 
30 
43 

43       Matt.  12  ; 
50 

57 
58 
80 

73       Matt.  13 

83 

Matt.  14 


97 

99       Matt.  15  ; 

99 
99 
99 

109       Matt.  16 : 

85 

176 

Matt.  17 

126 

125 


127 
128 

132 
132 


Matt.  18 
Matt.  19 


Matt.  20 : 


PAGE 

I  129 

2-19  109 

20-30  176 

1-8  87 

9-14  87 

15-21  97 

22-45  116 

46-50  116 

1-53  116 

54-58  129 

1-12 129 

[3-5  J  79 

13-23  136 

24-36  136 

1-20  136 

21-28  147 

29-31  147 

32-38  147 

39 147 

1-12  147 

13-20 152 

21-28  152 

1-13  152 

14-20  152 

22,  23  152 

24-27  162 

1-35  162 

I,  2  176 

3-12  207 

13-15  207 

16-30  207 

1-16  207 

17-19  207 

20-28  207 

29-34  207 


132 

no 

179 

93 

97 
116 

119 


148 


154 


163 
165 

208 


299 


300 


LIFE    OF    CHRIST 


PAGE 

Matt.  21  :  i-ii  219 

12-17  219 

18,  19  219 

20-22  219 

23-27  225 

28-46  225 

Matt.  22:  1-14  225 

15-40  225 

41-46  225 

Matt.  23  :  1-39  225 

Malt.  24:1-51  237 

Matt.  25  :  1-46  237 

Matt.  26:  1-5  237 

6-13  215 

14716  237 

17-30  243 

31-^35  243 

36-46  257 

47-56  257 

57-75  •••■ 257 

Matt.  27:  i-io  257 

11-31  257 

32-56  257 

57-61  257 

62-66  257 

Matt.  28:1-10  273 

11-15  •.-. 273 

16-20  273 

Mark     I  :  1-8  49 

9-II  56 

12,13  56 

[14]  72 

14,15  79 

16-20  79 

21-34  79 

35-45  79 

Mark    2 :  1-12  87 

13-17  87 

18-22  87 

23-28  87 

Mark    3:1-6  87 

7-12  97 

I3-I9«  97 

19^-30  116 

31-35  116 

Mark     4  :  1-34  116 

35-41  125 


220 


226 
226 


229 
239 


Mark    5 : 
Mark     6 : 


Mark    7 
Mark    8 

Mark    9 


269       Mark  lO 

277 
286 


49 

56 

58 

73 

79 

83 

84 

85 

87 

88 

89 

92 

93 

97 

98 

116 

118 

118 

125 


Mark  II 


Mark  12: 


Mark  13 : 
Mark  14: 


PAGE 

1-20  125 

21-4.^  125 

i-6a  129 

bb  129 

7-13  129 

14-29  129 

[17,18]  79 

30-46  136 

47-56  136 

1-23  136 

24-30 147 

31-37  147 

1-9  147 

10-21  147 

22-26  147 

27-30  152 

31-38  152 

I  152 

2-13  152 

14-29  152 

30-32  152 

33-50  162 

I  176 

2-12  207 

13-16  207 

17-31  207 

32-34  207 

35-45  207 

46-52  207 

i-ii  219 

12-14  219 

15-19  219 

[i9l  237 

20-25  219 

27-33  225 

1-12  225 

13-34  225 

35-37  225 

38-40  225 

41-44  233 

1-37  237 

1,2  237 

3-9  215 

10,  II  237 

12-26  243 

[26]  257 

27-31  243 

32-42  257 


125 
126 
130 


130 
133 

136 
138 
141 

147 
148 
149 
149 
150 
152 
155 
155 
158 
160 
161 
163 
176 
207 
209 
209 
211 
211 
212 
219 
222 
222 

223 
225 
22s 
227 
229 

233 
237 
241 
216 
241 
243 


257 


INDEX    OF    PASSAGES 


301 


PAGE 

Mark  14:43-52        257  259 

53-72        257  260 

Mark  15:  [la]  257 

1-20          257  263 

21-41        257  268 

42-47        257  270 

Mark  16:1-11          273  275 

12,13        273  277 

14              273  277 

15-18        273  277 

19,20        * 273  277 

Luke     1:1-4           17  19 

5-25         28  28 

26-38    '   28  28 

39-56       28  31 

57-80       28  31 

Luke     2:1-7            28  31 

8-20          28  32 

21              42  42 

22-39        42  42 

[39]  42 

40            42  44 

41-50       42  45 

51,52       42  46 

Luke    3:  1-18         49  53 

19, 20       79  80 

[19,20]   49 

21, 22       56  57 

[23«]       56 

23-38       28 

Luke     4:1-13         56  59 

14,15       79  80 

16-30       79  82 

31-41        79 

42-44       79 

Luke     5:1-11          79  84 

12-16        79 

17-26        87 

27-32        87 

33-39       87 

Luke     6:1-5  87 

6-11         87 

12-19       97  98 

20-49       97  106 

Luke     7:1-10          109 

11-17        109  IIO 


PAGE 

Luke     7:18-35  109 

36-50  109 

Luke     8:1-3  109 

4-18  116 

19-21  116 

22-25  125 

26-39  125 

40-56  125 

Luke     9:1-6  129 

7-9  129 

10-17  136 

18-21  152 

22-27  '•  •  •  •  152 

28-36  152 

37-43«  152 

43M5  152 

46-50  162 

51-62  176 

:  1-24  176 

25-37  176 

38-42  176 

:  I-13  189 

14-36  116 

37-54  189 

:  1-59  189 

:  1-9  189 

10-21  189 

22-30  189 

31-35 189 

:  1-24  196 

25-35  196 

:  1-32  196 

:  1-31  196 

:  I-IO  196 

II-I9  204 

20-37  204 

1-8  204 

9-14  204 

15-17  207 

18-30  207 

31-34  207 

35-43  207 

Luke  19:1-10  215 

11-28  215 

29-44  219 

45-48  219 

Luke  20  :  1-8  225 


1X2 
112 


Luke  10 


Luke  II 


Luke  12 
Luke  13 


Luke  14 

Luke  15 
Luke  16 
Luke  17 


Luke  18 : 1-8 


177 
178 
179 
180 
189 
118 
190 
191 
193 
193 
193 
193 
196 
197 
197 
198 
199 
204 
205 
205 
206 


215 
215 
220 


302  LIFE    OF    CHRIST 

PAGE  PACE 

Luke  20:9-19    225  John   4:46-54   79  82 

20-40 225  John   5:1-47    87  89 

41-44   225  John   6:1-15    136  137 

45-47   225  16-21 136  139 

Luke  21 :  1-4     233  22-7 1    1 36  139 

5-38    237  241   John   7:1-52    169  169 

[37,38] 219  53      169  171 

Luke  22:1-6     237  John   8:i-ii    169  171 

7-30    243  245           12-30   169  171 

.31-34   243  31-59   169  171 

35-38   243  250   John   9:1-41    182  182 

39-46   257  John  I0:i-2i    182  184 

47-53    257  22-42   182  186 

54-71    257  John  11:1-46    201  201 

Luke  23:1-25    257  265           47-54   201  202 

26-49   257  269           55-57    215  217 

50-56^   257  John  I2:i-ii    215  217 

Luke  23  156^— 24:  12 273  278  12-19   219 

13-35   273  280          20-36   233  233 

36-43   273  281          37-50   233  235 

44-53   273  288   John  13:1-30    243  246 

31-35   243  249 

John   I  :  1-18 17  17  36-38    243  250 

19-28 61  61   John  14:1-31    243  250 

29-34   61  62   John  15:1-27    243  251 

35-42   61  63   John  16:1-33    243  251 

43-51    61  63   John  17:1-26    243  253 

John   2:1-1 1    61  64   John  i8:i-ii    257  259 

12      61  12-27   257  260 

13-22 67  67  28-40 257  265 

23-25   67  70   John  I9:i-i6a   257  265 

John   3:1-21    67  70           16^-37   257  270 

22      72  72           38-42   257 

23-36   72  73   John  20:i-i8    273  279 

John   4:  [1,2]   72  72          19-25   273  281 

1-3    72  73         26-29   273  285 

4-26    72  73          30,31   .....273  289 

27-42   72  76   John  21  :  1-24    273  285 

43-45   79  25 273  289 


5 


M 


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